No killing small animals! (Vex and Ayer)

Ayer scorched off the last of the peeling, black paint from his chassis as Aunna instructed him. He looked up when she finished, the miniature fusion cutter withdrawing back into his beak, and tilted his head to one side.

I could do that, prefer it in fact. However, and I apologize, for asking, but are you sure you parents can be trusted? I mean no offense to them or yourself of course, but I can't help but feel you have changed significantly in the time we've been together.

He followed her out of the transport as he spoke, hopping up onto the walkway’s rail to put himself closer to her eye level. Just try to look after yourself, Aunna. It would be a right pity for you to have come so far only to be stopped by your own kin.

Crouching down, Ayer spread his wings out as far as he could and drank deep of the warm sunlight beating down from clear skies. Such a restoration had become a rare treat these days, and he was savoring every bit as a man would savor a steak after being marooned for half his life. Aunna, Vex, good luck to you both. And… In less time it takes to blink an eye, Ayer had searched the database for just the farewell he wanted. May the Force be with you.

With a warm blast of air, Ayer took wing, bolting into the sky with unnatural speed. However, upon noting a few curious glances in his direction, he slowed down immensely, circling on open wings trying his best to blend in with the other flocks. Fortunately for him, white, bird-shaped things pretty much look like all other white, bird-shaped things at 10,000 feet. White birds too!

Below him sprawled the great expanses of Coronet city. Ayer had only been here once before, but then he had been focusing his attention on locating the bomb armed to blow the city to rubble in 48.15 seconds. Now without impending doom to cloud his receptors he could truly marvel at the towering architecture, the sprawling gardens, and the other grand works of art that dotted the surface. Unfortunately, for all its beauty, the city was a maze in itself.

ACCESSING DATABANKS…

SEARCH QUERY: CORONET CITY LAYOUT

MAPS RECEIVED. UPLOADING…

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Ayer’s vision flickered for a moment then came back with a transparent and incredibly detailed map of the city below. Marked in the center, remaining static as the map image scrolled along, was a bombing reticule he had improvised on the wing before dropping the wildfire grenade that covered Vex and Aunna’s escape. Floating over the city, the crosshair spoke a silent omen. Ayer hurriedly disabled the reticule not wanting to think of such things at the moment.

Without much thought, he entered in the coordinates Aunna had given him to the manor. Immediately, two lines appeared on his map both pointing from his current position to the coordinate point that was his destination. A blue one wound its way through the maze of streets and buildings, the quickest public accessible route on ground level. The red line pointed straight from him to the manor, this was his most direct path, as the AER flies.

If he were to fly a bit higher or find some cloud cover, he could engage sonic thrusters and be there in seconds but… Ayer sighed to himself. That was supposed to be his goodbye back there but even then some part of him new he couldn’t just leave like that. He had warned them about an upcoming threat and he had promised to help protect them from threats,

Curse my chivalrous programming. I bet 07 never has to deal with these things. Ayer reduced repulsor thrust and began following the blue line.

Aunna sighed a bit at Ayer’s question. She had been smiling at his first reply, but that questioning…it worried her.

Yes, they won’t turn me in, Ayer. If for no other reason mother wouldn’t want a scandal and father loves me more than that. Don’t worry. Things will be fine.

She smiled a bit as they headed to the ramp where, much to her surprise, Vex was dressed once more as a jedi and looking….very presentable. Well…what did she expect? She could hope that he didn’t put two and two together, but who was she kidding? He was a jedi who’s mind was his greatest weapon. He was far from stupid and so it would have only been a matter of time before he realized just what she was.

At Ayer’s farewell, she chuckled a bit and nodded.

You be careful also. Not that I have to really worry about you while you’re flying, but…

She shrugged mildly and they had started off. Vex, as expected, had been a brooding ball of oppressive emotions…not that she really blamed him. Poor man had been caught totally unaware. She’d handled the situation poorly and for that she was now paying the price. As he replied to her, both verbally and mentally, all Aunna could muster was a slight sigh and a shrug of her shoulders. Who was she to say if he was lucky he had been removed from his family or not? That was something that she would never know, and couldn’t quite fathom to be honest, so she couldn’t very well speak on the matter. With this in mind, the younger woman simply chose to remain silent.

The scenery had become more rural swiftly enough as she had led them both through the twisting alleys of the Blue District. There’d been no trouble, she had actually managed to keep them from sight fairly easily, with only a near brush once as some people had made their way into a cantina near by. Now they passed under trees, along the sides of fields and orchards that she’d known in her past, old playgrounds for Jade and herself. It was into one of these that she now led Vex…another short cut, and one that would shave a considerable amount of time from their walk. Going through an orchard was far faster than going around it after all.

Typically the woman would have reveled in the familiarity of the surroundings, but…circumstances had the Corellian a bit more on edge. It wasn’t so much the fact that she was now a wanted criminal (though that certainly did add to her anxiety), but rather that the dark jedi following after her was most likely still far from pleased with her actions a few days ago. It didn’t help that she was taking him to her parent’s house. The thought made her groan inwardly. She gave a glance to the side and something caught her eye, making her pause momentarily and blink at the markings. Two symbols had been etched into the trunk of one of the trees, from the looks of them it had been done quite a number of years ago. They were old and weathered, but still visible, a testament to just how deeply and how often they’d been etched into the tree.

The sun shown down on the two children as they lay in the shade of the trees, both smudged with dirt and covered in dust and leaves. A quiet little tune was being hummed in a voice still wrapped in childhood as the warm sun filtered through the leaves above the two.

“Cut it out Aun…you’re not a bird and you’re not in class, you don’t need to be singing right now.”

She sat up finally and gave her brother a mild glare that swiftly turned into a childish sticking out of her tongue.

“I can sing if I want. You don’t have you like it. Besides, Mother would rather I sing than curse.”

“You do that anyway.”

“Do not!”

“Yes you do. I’ve heard you. Lucky mother doesn’t know or you’d be in big trouble.”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“You wouldn’t tell! You wouldn’t!”

Jade grinned and flopped back again against the leaves.

“No, but I could and who do you think she’d believe?”

Aunna scowled slightly and folded her arms.

“Not you, because you NEVER do what father tells you to do…then you LIE about it.”

“Yes, but I don’t lie when it comes to getting you in trouble.”

“You don’t!”

“No, not often anyway…I’m not THAT mean Aun, give me a bit of credit.”

Aunna huffed loudly and looked away from her brother testily. She wasn’t mad, not really, but she wanted him to think she was. He knew better of course, and she knew he did, but it made her feel better anyway. A shout from across the other side of the orchard caught both children’s attention and their heads snapped in the direction of the male voice.

“You’re wanted for dance.”

“So? I’m sick of dance…you’re lucky you don’t have to take it.”

“I do…just not yet. I have to take sword first.”

“I’d rather take sword…”

“Yes well Mo…”

Aunna stood in a huff and grumbled loudly as she brushed herself off, the green dress she wore in need of a good washing from their time clambering about in the trees.

“Mother says a lot of things. Mother wants me in these stupid dresses too…doesn’t mean I have to like it. Tell you what…I’ll trade you for a day, I’ll take sword and get the welts you complain about and you can take dance and get dropped and stepped on all the time. You get to wear the stupid dress too.”

The blue eyed boy gazed at her sadly for a moment. He hadn’t meant to make her feel worse, and he certainly hadn’t meant to make her angry at him.

“How about this…it’ll take them a little while to find us…how about we make this our place. If you ever can’t get to me, or are in trouble, or…or even just upset…you can come here and I’ll know where to find you. Okay?”

Aunna sighed and gave him a look from the corner of her eyes before turning and looking at him fully.

“How? How do you plan on that? It isn’t exactly like we have our names on the trees here.”

Jade smirked and pulled out a small pocket knife from his pants.

“I think this’ll do.”

A light chuckle, followed by a short sigh, escaped the woman at the memory. It had taken only that one moment, barely two beats of the heart, and she was moving again. It wasn’t long after that before the two fugitives reached the high and sculpted walls of the manor her parents resided in. Now Aunna’s history could come into clearer perspective for the man who traveled with her. This was not simply a military family, it was a noble family as well.

Aunna paused in the shadows of the trees, eying the predicament casually. The gate in front was locked a guarded, the grounds inside still perfectly manicured, but that wasn’t any concern of hers. She wasn’t looking to enter the front, no, she was looking for someone specific. Chances were he’d be in the back of the estate…one of the only people to have even attempted any contact with her while she was in prison. It was more than her mother could say. Slipping through the shadows of the trees around the walls to the back, Aunna managed a smile as she noted the aging head guard. He wasn’t difficult for her to find, but then, after years of her and Jade causing problems for the man that wasn’t much of a surprise…now, to get his attention.

I'll trust you to make the correct decisions once we get inside...please don't make me regret this.

It was obvious she was trying to strike a balance with the man, but over all it wasn’t going to work and she knew it. Unlikely as it was that they were going to be seen in the manor considering who she was about to be talking to, Aunna understood that Vex was a “rather safe than sorry” type of person…and his methods of doing that were…unsavory. If at all possible she’d prefer he just…NOT.

Turning her attention back to Robbens, Aunna pondered once more how to get his attention. Shrugging mildly, she watched as he leaned casually against the wall looking fairly bored. Stooping, the woman picked up a small rock and smirked as she crept a little more in the direction of the gate. With a swift motion she let the rock sail through the air in the direction of the aging guard’s head. A grunt of displeasure and the motion of him rubbing his head told Aunna she’d struck true. Growling, he opened the gate, stepped through and closed the gate behind him, locking it and waiting there in the light as he loosened his blaster. Smirking again, Aunna reached into a pouch at her belt and pulled out a small object that she proceeded to lob at the guard, striking him in the head once more before the glistening object hit the ground. The guard seemed to notice, stooping and picking up the object and turning it over in his hands for a moment before giving a sharp whistle and waving another guard over through the gate. Handing the keys over to the guard inside, Robbens pulled his blaster loose and turned on his flashlight, heading for the darkness of the orchard.

Aunna seeped back into the shadows of the trees, a pleased look on her face. She wasn’t worried about Vex, he could take care of himself and knew how to keep out of trouble so instead she focused on the man who now warily approached the trees. Another rock was tossed at the man as she went deeper into the orchard, and the guard followed.

“Seems like someone’s missing a pendant…wonder who the lady might be?”

A light snicker escaped her and she stopped moving as he lowered and holstered his blaster once again. He glanced about the dark trees, searching for her visibly, but not moving any further. He wasn’t stupid, he’d heard of the jedi she was supposedly traveling with and he didn’t want to take any chances.

Hello Robbens. I was hoping you’d get the hint.

Melting out of the shadows to where he could see her more clearly, she nodded to Vex once before smiling slightly at the guard and sighing.

It’s good to see you again…and thank you…

“It’s good to see you again as well Lady Aunna…and, you’re welcome…though I’m not entirely sure what for…”

Aunna lowered her head slightly and shook it, chuckling softly again.

Don’t call me that, Robbens. As for why I’m thanking you…for believing in me. You…are one of the very few who does any more. Those letters…they meant a lot to me.

She had glanced, briefly, at Vex during this. He was another of the very few who still believed in her at all, much less her innocence in the matter. Another sigh and she looked away from him and back to her old friend.

I’m not here for long Robbens. I just need to see my parents for a little while. I have one favor to ask them and I need to contact someone then we need to leave…and it needs to happen with as few people knowing we’re here as possible. Can you arrange that for me?

The man grunted slightly as he thought. Regardless of his 55 years, time hadn’t seemed to be able to touch him over much. His physique was still muscular from training, his hair only lightly peppered with grey, and he was still tall enough to loom over Aunna. Despite this, the man seemed hesitant to answer her.

“I can but…I can’t promise you’ll like what you find.”

As long as I don’t find myself walking into a trap or to a waiting firing squad, I think I’ll manage.

“Alright then…if you’re certain. I’ll lead you in. Wait for my signal.”

With that he gave a glance to Vex (whom Robbens had studiously ignored until that point) and left the cover of the trees, an irritated look coming to his face as he moved into the light once again as he grumbled, loudly, about "pesky kids" and "pranksters".

—Oh…this ought to be good...—

Aunna thought with no small amount of sarcasm.

While they had walked along, she’d noticed….oh yes she’d noticed....though, with the situation, his actions put her on edge. She knew he was there, but to have him seem to ‘vanish’ from the force…it was unsettling in some of the worst ways. This didn’t mean she allowed it to get to her, instead she focused more on what she had been doing. She’d trusted him to do what was right before, she’d told him she would trust his actions now, and so she had to hold up to her end and get them inside. When Robbens had left, Vex’s voice from the darkness made her eyes narrow a bit in her surprise as she looked over at him for a moment before looking back in the direction of the gate. She hadn’t expected him to have anything to say in the first place, and what he did say had her shaking her head.

Well it’s good to know he holds none of THAT….hmph…oh yes, very astute Vex…I’m fairly sure the “I can’t promise you’ll like what you find” and no explanation sort of pointed to him “leaving something unsaid”…

The woman couldn’t help but roll her eyes slightly and smirk.

I sort of figured that out Vex…and I didn’t think you were about to. You seem the type of person to find a sick sort of pleasure in tormenting people with what knowledge you may or may not have. Assuming that is the case, why would I expect myself to be free of that treatment?

Even her voice was dripping with a sort of half amused sarcasm as she watched Robbins speaking to the guard on the other side of the gate, getting his keys back and stepping inside and out of view. He’d made her curious and he knew it, but she’d be damned if she pestered him about it. Chances were that she really didn’t want to know. Fact was, she’d neglected to inform him of the creeping unpleasant feeling that had been growing in her since the time they’d stepped off of the ship. If she felt it, he’d feel it…or so she assumed. As Robbens returned to the gate, her posture straightened a bit more, tense as she watched him from the shadows. Presumably he’d sent the other guard to get his relief while Robbens watched the gate. Either way, his signal was easy enough to discern…bringing out his flashlight, he twirled it around once in his hand, seemingly toying with the thing, before settling it into a backhanded grip as he paced behind the gate, clicking the light on once and off again. He glanced around once more as he casually flickered the light once more as he stopped beside the lock to the gate. With a huff of breath, Aunna started toward the gate.

-------------------

Ayer had met up with them outside and so now, with the trio together again, they headed through the darkened hallways. They had gotten into the manor easily enough, and with only a minimal amount of aversion, but Aunna was far from thrilled with being back in these confining walls. Walls she remembered oh so well. Without thinking, Aunna began (for lack of a better description) grooming. It wasn’t that she was disheveled…no, by all accounts she was very well off. Clean, combed, decently dressed, she was better off now than she had been directly after her escape from prison. It was, rather, the fact that old habits die hard…and with the knowledge that she was facing her overly critical mother, Aunna slipped back into those old habits, even if it was only slightly.

Since the moment she had set foot inside the manor Aunna had seemed to change, an oft unused mask coming up around her. If Vex had ever thought her posture was straight before, it would be nothing compared to now. Years of formal training in etiquette and protocol settled on her shoulders once more. Her typical brisk pace turned into a swift and flowing stride as she swept along the plush halls behind Robbens. A few deft motions of her hands through her tawny locks and it was swept back, leaving only a few silky tendrils of hair framing her face. The rest of that waterfall was expertly twisted about into a bun and secured there with the strip of cloth (now cut properly) that she had torn from the dress she was meant to be executed in…after all, it wasn’t as if Veera needed hair ties, or like Aunna had been able to procure something more suitable since then. With a passing glance into a mirror they were led past, Aunna gave a slight sigh and shook her head…it would never pass her mother’s inspection, but there was nothing much she could do about that. Despite Aunna’s assumption, however correct it may have been, should anyone have seen her, it wouldn’t be difficult to notice the classic elegance of her even without the typical flowing gown that such ladies often wore.

An image of calm grace outwardly, just below the surface Aunna was anything BUT calm. When they had first arrived on Corellia, Aunna had been more than happy to be back; as they had progressed, that feeling had slowly given way to the anxious uncertainty she now felt. Vex’s presence was some small comfort, but considering the uneasy tension she felt around him ever since she had kissed him…well, it practically negated the typical reassurance she received in knowing he was near by. Pushing thoughts of this being a bad idea from her mind, the younger woman noticed the flickering orange glow of the sitting room fire.

That’s odd…a fire? This time of year? Why?

She paused, holding out an arm silently to halt Vex as well. Robbens entered the room first, bowing slightly before speaking to the other in the room. Aunna’s heart rate rose uncomfortably as the guard returned to allow them in, an apologetic look on his face. She hesitated a moment, uncertain if she actually wanted to know, to find out, she why he wore that look…how would her parents react? Certainly they would be happy that she was still alive…right? Steeling her resolve, she swept into the room, moving directly toward her parents and dipping into a low curtsy. No doubt that, in the manner she was dressed, the motion and held position looked more than a little odd, but Aunna could have cared less. For once in what felt like ages, she completely pushed thoughts of the dark jedi accompanying her from her mind as she bowed her head to her parents. After a moment of silence that seemed to draw out forever, she finally decided that she should speak first.

Mother, Father, please…forgive me for the trouble I have brought to the family with my actions.

More silence and she continued on.

I promise that I will find a way to prove…

Manners.

What?

Aunna blinked, momentarily confused at the sudden interruption before she cursed inwardly. Perfect manners weren’t exactly her highest priority at the moment and so her mother’s statement had caught her unawares. Sighing slightly, she pondered how best to right the situation.

Forgive me. You’re correct —I hate this…--

Testing the waters, Aunna slowly raised her head…it was tolerated, so she began to rise. This…was not.

A stern look from her mother and she froze, luckily she had barely moved and so the motion was left unscolded. Resisting the urge to show her frustration, Aunna glanced to her father. The distinguished looking man stood a little off to the side, the orange light of the flames glinting in his grey hair. His attention was focused on Vex as he attempted to ignore his wife’s “handling” of their daughter. As it was, he would have simply been happy to hold the girl and know she was alright. He was, however, concerned with this man (obviously the ‘Vex’ dark jedi from the news and her trial) who was now in his home and traveling with his little girl.

With no indication from her father, Aunna swiftly continued.

Mother, Father, this is Vex Praetor…the man who saved my life.

The dark jedi who broke you out of prison, you mean.

Yes…

Came the stiff reply.

—This has GOT to end…soon.— Vex, my parents, Lord Kovus and Lady Sarah Borgonia.

With that out of the way, Aunna moved to rise once again, and again her mother glared. This time she ignored the look.

Your appearance is terrible. Your hair is a wreck, you’re dirty…

Being on the run doesn’t exactly leave me time to be up to your standards mother. I could look much worse consid…

AND you didn’t bother to apologize for it.

Oh give me a kriffing break! I was a bit busy trying to…

Aunna Lumina Borgonia.

That had the agitated woman pausing. The tenor voice of her father was easily recognized and the calm seriousness of it silenced her swiftly.

Don’t curse, and don’t raise your voice to your mother.

With a resigned sigh, the young noble closed her eyes for a moment. At least her father was tolerable in his corrections of her attitudes and actions. It helped that she’d always been closer to her father than her mother (with good reason), and so she was far more willing to accept the reprimand.

Yes sir…but you have to understand that I don’t have time for this.

Why did you come here Aunna?

At this, the younger woman almost smiled…almost. Yes she was slightly surprised that her father had asked her why she had come, why shouldn’t she? She dismissed the question however, because her father had always been a rather clever man and he knew her well enough to understand that she wouldn’t be there for no reason. Inwardly she welcomed her father’s bluntness…finally one of her parents had decided to get down to the point.

Several reasons…First: I need to contact someone on this planet. They will know to respond to this number. Second: I am in possession of…

She trailed off as one of the servants announced his presence with a clearing of his throat. What met her eyes when she turned to look at the man nearly had her growling. As it was, icy blue eyes narrowed at the man. She recognized the folder he carried on top and the folded material beneath the other documents wound her muscles tight beneath her skin. Uniform pants…the ones she’d received the blood stripe in. Of course the other members of her wing had earned the stripe as well, but the fact that they were being handled at all…

“The next…the next set Ma’am, and…”

He wavered under Aunna’s glare, looking between the people in the room anxiously.

--Next set of what, exactly…what the hell are you doing with those documents and my blood stripes boy? There had better be a good reason for this.--

She’d been lucky to not have had them amongst her personal belongings when she’d been arrested…no doubt the Republic had searched them and done away with much of them, and if that uniform had been there it would have been lost as well. Now, she wondered if it would have been better to have lost it that way.

Thank you. Bring those here, then fetch the albums…wait…no, you forgot the school uniforms, both of them. Go on.

Despite the difference in their clothing, eye color, and age, it was obvious where Aunna got most of her good looks. Even at 52 her mother showed few signs of her age. Aunna’s eyes had widened as she watched the interaction between the servant and her mother, and now those very different colored gazes met in a contest of wills to see who might back down first.

What’s the meaning of this? Mother?

Brown eyes didn’t so much as waver as she took the stack of papers and the folded black cloth beneath it. Without a word the older woman moved toward the fire and began feeding the (rather official looking) documents into the fire. That silence was more than Aunna could bear at the moment. She knew what was fueling the fire now, and she wanted an answer.

Father, I MUST have an answer…what is the meaning of this?!

He sighed heavily and folded his arms, shaking his head a bit.

I’m sorry Aunna, but you are no longer welcome in this house. Please leave.

If he could get her to leave, this might be less painful for her in the end. Stubborn child she was though, he knew she wasn’t likely to leave that easily.

Not until I get an answer. I’m your daughter, I deserve that much!

A flicker of a smile crossed his face, mildly amused at the fact that she was still just as stubborn as she’d always been. With an apologetic glint in his eyes, he was about to reply when Sarah chimed in making Kovus cringe inwardly.

No. You’re not our daughter. Not any more. Our daughter is dead and so we are burning the only things we have left to remind us of her. Now leave.

Again the voice of her mother made Aunna pause. As the words reached her, all the blue eyed woman could feel was numb. A light shake of her head was given as she attempted to process the meaning behind the words and she gave a tentative step backward.

What?

You heard me.

Her mind struggled against the shock of the situation, trying to understand the ‘why’ of it. As shocked as she was, whatever mental and emotional barriers Aunna had built up crumbled once more.

Why?

Isn’t it obvious?

Aunna paused. It wasn’t because she didn’t know why…not now. She knew immediately why as soon as her mother had spoken, her pause was caused by a new wave of shock and disbelief that shook her to the core.

You think I’m really a traitor………Of all people to believe me guilty…

Her mind was clearing now, the numb feeling of disbelief fading into the background as she felt the rest of her former life tumble down around her, leaving a painful emptiness in her heart.

—Why? Why this? Of all things…why this?--

She attempted to bring up her defenses, to bring that raging fire of her soul forward to burn in her, to harden herself and pull herself together. All she found was a single, feebly flickering, flame. Aunna refused to admit defeat; however, she knew that she was fighting a losing battle…and not just against her parents, but against herself as well. With a deep sigh, she tilted her chin up slightly and gathered what inner strength was left to her at the moment.

Vex, please leave. Ayer, go with him.

They wanted to see her break, fine, but she’d be damned if they got what they wanted without a fight…and there was no way she would go through that struggle with Vex around. As much as she wanted his support in this, to not feel completely alone, she didn’t want to risk the lives of her parents. For as much hurt as they had just caused her, they were still her parents, she still loved them, and she most certainly didn’t want their deaths on her conscience.

—Please go. I need to do this on my own. I’ll contact you through Ayer.--

Her verbal request had been calm and steady, almost devoid of emotion; she’d spoken like this to him before however, so it would come as little surprise. Her thoughts, on the other hand, had never been completely closed off from Vex, allowing him to feel almost the full range of her emotions. Untrained as she was, Aunna didn’t have much control over what she did or didn’t allow him to feel from her, but the point was…she’d never really attempted to hide her emotions from him either (of course, there were exceptions to this).

This time was vastly different.

When she reached to him through the force this time, the brush against his mind was as subtle as the touch of fog against skin. That chilled touch extended into the thought itself, her own mind distant and reserved, cold and closed off from him. What traces of emotion that could be felt from her were dismal things that echoed the deep pain and sorrow she felt, coupled with a growing sense of futility…as if every time she made progress, all of her efforts gave way to more heartache. She was a fighter, however, because even through those emotions…all the pain she worked to hide from Vex and shoulder on her own…she still clung to the hope that something, sometime, would go right. From that point on she might be able to build herself a new life. This glimmer of hope, however small it was at the moment, was the one thing she DIDN’T attempt to hid from him now.

--I will try to resolve this situation swiftly so we can be on our way. --

With that, Aunna cast a sidelong glance at Vex before beginning the arduous task of playing the part of someone with far more strength than she felt she had at the moment. She could grant herself a little time to feel weak later…but not now.

Just as she had settled herself for the task to come, had begun settling herself into some small sort of acceptance, and had even begun debating if she was going to even attempt to get her things or not, she noticed Vex wasn’t leaving. She gave him a questioning glance just before she felt his presence slip into her mind, working its way around and wrapping her up in it. On a conscious level she wanted to struggle against him by the sheer act of intrusion…she didn’t have the will for it, however, so she could do nothing more than allow it. As she settled down again, she realized that he had just settled himself there, his presence like a pillar for her, some shelter from this storm. It surprised her that he would offer her this type of comfort…he’d been closed off before and now, when she tried to close him out…he wouldn’t allow it. A familiar tightening in her chest had her struggling against herself again as she finally allowed her own consciousness to wrap around his.

As he spoke to her parents, her surprise only grew. She shouldn’t have been as surprised as she was by his tactics, or the way he spoke, the authority and…propriety…he exuded, but she was. Blame it on the circumstances, blame it on his ability to confuse the hell out of her at any given moment, blame it on what you like, but her surprise was evident…not outwardly, no, but he would certainly be able to feel it, wrapped around her as he was. As he took her belongings from her mother and returned them to her hands, she gazed up at him, sapphire eyes shimmering slightly with unshed tears. Aunna couldn’t quite grasp why he had done this…was doing this….for her. Logically, she knew the more distraught she was, the less use she would be, but the logical side of her wasn’t entirely working at the moment, and so she was left baffled by his actions. Even if he didn't want to owe her anything, and that was his only reason for helping her, he didn't need to show this kind of kindness in order to achieve his own goals.

…Thank you…

She whispered the words even as he moved away, lowering her head and tilting it away as if she might still be able to hide behind that curtain of hair that she had pulled back. Though the words may have sounded hollow, her emotions, the pure gratitude that poured from her, would show that she meant what she had said.

Her mother had been all but glaring at the two during the time Vex had been speaking. When he took the items from her, the awards, the certificates of graduation, the uniform pants, she had recoiled from him. She could almost tell this man disliked her, could practically feel it from him…but that was just her imagination. It had happened before with people who called her friend, so it was obvious this was another case of that. Kovus, on the other hand, simply gazed directly into the man’s coal black eyes as he approached…measuring the man up. He didn’t like the fellow any more or any less than any other person he came across, sometimes even criminals had a decent story behind their actions. Didn’t make them right, but it gave him a better idea as to just what type of person he was dealing with. So far he’d not gotten the impression this Vex was as demonic as the news made him out to be…but, again, looks could be deceiving. After a moment of silence, Sarah had regained her composure and huffed, but Kovus beat her to words.

I’m more than willing to help her, but I’m afraid there isn’t much that we can do, and I doubt that you fully understand the…pressures…we are being put under because of Aunna’s actions, well meaning or not.

You MUST be joking Kovus! No. We are NOT going to be helping you…either of you. It isn’t our fault she wasn’t intelligent enough to keep herself out of trouble. If she was willing to save you…someone evil…that was on her own terms, and that makes her a traitor and not worth the help. Just your being here could bring the whole Republic down on our heads…get out.

At that Aunna could remain silent no longer. She constricted her mind like a python, with little care about the fact that Vex’s presence was still buried within and around it. It was a battle, at this point, to keep herself stationary as her muscles knotted below her skin. Oh how she wanted to just beat some sense into her mother…to speak her mind for once, and let her mother know just what she thought of her.

—She is SO vapid and narrow minded she can’t see past her own nose! How DARE she speak about something and someone she knows NOTHING about?! How the HELL did I come from that….that…ugh, I’m not even sure I want to call her a person! Hell, I’d call her a rock, but I don’t want to insult the rocks!--

With a deep breath, she attempted to let go of that anger and remain still. A minor wave of dizziness had her shifting her stance slightly to unlock her knees again….she hadn’t even realized she’d done it. A glance at his daughter told Kovus all he needed to know, and he shook his head firmly.

We can only help you this once…and even that depends on what you require. Sarah, that’s my final word on the matter, so let it go.

Turning his attention back to the man accompanying his daughter, he sighed slightly.

What do you require?

((Song: "Illumination" by Globus))


Recovering from her wave of dizziness, Aunna caught Vex practically glaring at her mother. Again she tensed. He was doing something…she didn’t know what, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know, but he was. Those blacker than obsidian eyes were focused on the chocolate brown of her mother’s. The woman was surprisingly silent, seemingly unable to break that eye contact. Aunna’s skin prickled slightly and she shivered slightly…whatever he was doing, or about to do, she didn’t have the best feeling about it.

Sarah, in the mean time, was trapped. Struggling futilely against the hold the frightening man had on her body, she could only look at him and listen. His words made her cower inside herself, her eyes wide at the thought that he could honestly do such a thing to her. Yes, the woman had heard tell that jedi had special powers, some over the mind, but she’d never met on who had…at least, not one that had ever used them on HER. As he told her that Aunna was the only reason that he wasn’t ACTUALLY going to make good on his threat, she blinked in surprise. It was about all she COULD do, surprised or not, since she couldn’t move a muscle no matter how much she wanted to.

Nothing he said, however, could prepare the woman for what happened to her next. He had warned her that he would ‘illuminate’ her as to what had happened to Aunna, but she had expected words…not…everything. Images, so many images, flashed before her mind’s eye. Emotions, thoughts, physical pains, words…everything was transferred to her. Without respite he fed them to her, but through the whirlwind he’d forced her to understand it all. Nothing was lost on the woman, every detail Vex had gleaned, everything he had gathered from Aunna, his own memories of the situations…if someone had asked Sarah to describe it, she couldn’t have…not even if she wanted to.

Drowned was an appropriate word for what he did to the noble woman…he drowned her in the emotions, and even as he let her go only a few short seconds after he had first caught hold of her, Sarah’s mind was still reeling from the experience. She staggered backward and flopped into the armchair behind her, weeping silently and shaking. Kovus’ attention was on Vex as he spoke, but Aunna saw. Torn for a moment as to what she should do, the younger woman stood silently, looking to Vex and her father. She didn’t want to feel sorry for her mother…whatever Vex had done, it was likely justifiable…especially feeling as hurt as Aunna was right now. The kind heart in her, however, refused to simply allow her mother to suffer alone.

Sometimes I’m too nice…

The thought was followed by a heavy sigh as she set the stack of items in her hands down on a near by side table and paced over to where her mother sat sobbing as she attempted to sort everything out…the overflow of emotions still gripping her heart. Kneeling down before Sarah, Aunna rested her hands on the woman’s knee and her chin atop them, gazing up at her from troubled blue eyes, one arm hanging over each side of Sarah’s leg.

I understand, and I can certainly find the proper people to give information to. Aunna? What was it you were…

He had taken the data chits from Vex, taking in what he said about this ‘Vorlax’ and what needed to be done with the information. They’d both turned toward the women, but Kovus hadn’t expected to see his daughter in the position she was in now…not considering everything that had happened. It was odd enough to see his wife crying like, he didn’t understand why she would be and had been so focused on what Vex had been saying that he’d not even realized anything had happened, but to see Aunna there looking at her mother like she had when she’d been a child and Sarah had lost her brother…

…I don’t think I know any other person who would still bother to comfort someone who’s hurt them so bad…she still surprises me to this day with her kind heart, and I’m her father.

He mused quietly, more to himself than Vex; though, if he were honest with himself, Kovus would admit that it was a subtle warning to the dark jedi. Kovus was rarely honest with himself about such things…if he was going to try and “discourage” someone from dealing with one of his children, he’d do it outright and there’d be nothing subtle about it…so those words, obviously, were no such thing….end of story.

Aunna could practically feel Vex’s attention return to them…her mother and herself…but she didn’t look at him, nor did she move at the sound of her name. She simply knelt there humming lightly, not even thinking about the fact that it was no song she’d ever heard before. Quite frankly, she wasn’t even thinking about the fact that she was humming…she just was…she was willing the tempers in the room, the emotions that roiled about in the people therein (including herself), to be soothed. Her father was hurting and wary, Vex was…well she’d known his feelings even BEFORE they got inside and this situation certainly hadn’t helped them…and her mother…her emotions battered against the former major’s, threatening to seep over and add to her own pain. This was the person she was most concerned about soothing…Aunna didn’t understand WHY her mother was so overwhelmingly emotional, but she was and it was stifling to the younger woman. The song was just a means to an end in the back of Aunna’s mind…singing had soothing qualities when singing the correct song, and done properly, and so she was unconsciously quieting the sea that threatened to pull her under.

-- Mother, Father - hear my song
Look at your creation
Brother, where did we go wrong?
Where is our salvation?

Lying naked on the floor
Dying of starvation
In the darkness we explore
Find Illumination

All day, all night
Give a little bit of your love
Back to yourself
It's all right
If we all give a little bit
We can make it

This is our world
This is how we made it
And now is the hour
Only we can save it
Don't be afraid
Love will light the way
The spark that lives in the heart
Of everyone will become
Like a flame
Like the sun

Mother, Father - I'm your
Son, Sister, Brother, Daughter
I am you and we are one
Like the mighty water

Feel the music fill your soul
Feel the love vibration
We are golden, we are whole
We are love's creation

All day, all night
Give a little bit of your love
Back to the earth
It's all right
If we all give a little bit
We can make it

Here is our world
This is how we made it
And now is the hour
Only we can save it
Don't be alone
Love will light the way
The spark that lives in the heart
Of everyone - will become
Like a flame
Like the sun

This our world
This is how we made it
We all have the power
Only we can save it
We won't be alone
Love will light the way
The spark that lives in the heart
Of everyone - will become
Like a flame
Like the sun

Give a little bit of your love back

We can make it.

The words had started in her mind…at first it was a thought, a manifestation of her sadness, what she felt at the moment, the questions that echoed through her mind time and again. The curled their way around her mind like ivy vines and, through her focus on her mother, around Sarah’s mind…Vex, also, would undoubtedly hear the words, entwined as he was with her at the moment, that great pillar of his mind and will still a source of strength for the younger woman. The musing continued, taking a more lyrical form, weaving her hopes with her conscious thoughts…she had brought this down upon herself, at least in part, and so she had to help right it. In being honest with herself, she knew that love would play an integral part of this entire journey…her love for people, her parents, life itself...obviously there was more to the thought than that, but she easily guided herself away from that thinking.

As she brought the song into the world, she made sure to keep her mind as silent as possible, her voice as silent as possible, she DIDN’T want it to leave this room. Aunna, through her experience with Andrew, had learned the potential of her songs…if it rippled outward…well, it was Corellia, there was likely to be some jedi around somewhere, and she didn’t want them to know she was here…so she attempted to contain the music, the odd movement within her. Vaguely she wondered if this was the way the force felt to her. Still, as divided as her mind was, those lyrics flowed easily from her.

Feeling her mother slowly calming, she addressed them personally, willing them to understand that they couldn’t just dismiss her. No matter how much they might or might not wish her or Jade to no longer be part of them…it just wasn’t possible. Sarah was held spell bound, it seemed, her turbulent emotions evening out once more as Aunna sang, her daughter radiating a calm that lapped against them all. It was unlikely Vex would be over fond of what was going on, but…well…a means to an end, right? As the song trailed off in her mind, and thus outwardly, she sighed and shook her head to clear it once more before looking over her shoulder. First was a half apologetic look to Vex (no doubt she’d get a lecture or something for her ‘recklessness’ later), before she shrugged and turned her blue eyes to Kovus.

I…well…heh. I couldn’t just leave her sobbing. Anyway…you were asking…?

Kovus also had to shake his head to break himself from the spell-like song as he heard her question.

Yes…that’s right, you were saying earlier that you needed to contact someone and something else…what was it?

Aunna blinked for a moment as if it should have been perfectly obvious. With a shake of her head, she looked in the direction of Ayer and stood up once more, brushing herself off out of habit and walking over toward Vex.

Ayer…AER-03. He’s been listed as stolen, I’m sure…his partner is a sniper for the Republic and I’m sure he’ll be missing him by now. I don’t know all of the details, Ayer can tell you himself the rest of the information…but either way he needs to be returned. Also, I have a data chit of the recording from Manaan…far less than Vex it seems, but I’ve had far less opportunity to poke around than he has.

It was a good intentioned jab at Vex’s abilities, but she made sure to send him a slight smile. She didn’t know how or when…or even what (though she had some ideas)…he’d gathered together, but every bit helped.

The manor was no less impressive from the sky as from inside. Ayer mused over the intricate topiary, the artistic layout of the property. Walk along a series of stone paths and what do you see? Stones. But gaze down upon them from amongst the wisps of cloud, and those featureless rocks become a gossamer web weaving through the grounds. Ayer picked out his spiders and descended.

He rejoined Aunna and Vex in silence. Even being a droid, he picked up the air of tension that surrounded the pair almost immediately; a sudden thickening in the air that had nothing to do with its composition. He landed a bit to the side and hopped diligently next to them, his talons clicking on the path. The plain, featureless stones pass endlessly beneath him.

Whenever anyone passed nearby, he repressed the habitual urge to hunker down low, remained steady and gave them not a second glance. When Aunna spoke to the gatekeeper, he remained silent. As Aunna’s mind was in turmoil with memories, he kept his composure and kept moving, the stones passing beneath him.

Entering the manner, he inched ever so slightly towards Vex, but this was more out of necessity of staying together in the confined area. As the door began to close behind him, he cast one last over-the-shoulder glance at that stone pathway. It was then he realized that those stones were not so uniform; each one had its own slight imperfections, its shattered edges, its unique dizzying pattern of mineral spots. Perhaps it was a testament to life in general; pretty nifty from afar, bland and monotonous from the middle ground, but when one took the time to focus on the individual…that’s where the true fascination begins.

Who knows? Maybe they’re just rocks.

The door slammed shut with a boom that echoed just a tiny bit too much, and flinched noticeably as it obscured his view of the grounds. Perhaps this was what Aunna had felt like on the day of her execution, the final destination at the end of the final pathway. His thoughts shot back to those awful events and kept going. He hoped Sean was alright wherever he was. Ayer kept him out of trouble after all…

MEMORY LOG: 874 : 2 : 49

[/center]

AER-03 yanked experimentally at the cable tied around his leg. He had only been assigned to agent Mu’haro for 2 galactic standard weeks now and he was already sure the man was a nutcase.

Are you certain this is a logical course of action, Mu’haro? Scans and analysis indicate there is a high probability you just located this cable in a nearby garbage bin.

That’s right, 03, I did. As well as this…

Sean held up a simple durasteel panel with 4 wheels shoddily bolted to the bottom and secured the other end of the cable to his wrist band with a ring clip.

I cannot be sure, but is this what organics call a “joke”? No segment of your plan is either necessary or safe. You are using wheels; a technology made obsolete nearly 2,000 years ago.

Sean rolled his eyes and checked the wheels. It’s fun, droid. You’re going to have to understand the meaning of that word if you’re going to hang around with me. He removed a chunk of permacrete from the axle and gave the wheels a spin. They rattled horrendously but they spun. That’s what matters, right? Well, I’m ready. You remember the plan I imagine.

Unfortunately, I do. Removing the guarders on the propulsion systems will result in an immense energy drain so I will only be able to keep this up for approximately 18 seconds before remaining in the air would be too perilous for me to continue.

That’s fine. 18 seconds is plenty of time. Sean placed his board on the ground and stepped confidently onto it. Go for it!

03 shook his head but turned around, planted his feet, and spread his wings. Very well. Ignition in 5…4…3…2…1…

MEMORY CORE DAMAGED. LOG TERMINATED.

[/center]

Well….usually.

He then realized Aunna and Vex had already gone a good distance down the hall and engaged his repulsors on the lowest strength that would lift him. He landed with a clack, which also seemed to echo a bit too much, behind the condemned pair. He would have loved nothing more than to hover silently along next to them, but the thought of such a freedom-laced act as flight felt like all but a crime in this place of order and propriety. Ayer walked.

Aunna’s parents were not what he had expected. He done his holonet homework, of course, and knew more about Lord Kovus and Lady Sarah Borgonia then probably a majority of people that worked for them. But he had not planned to meet Lord Kovus and Lady Sarah Borgonia. He had planned to meet the two beings who raised a child together through love, wonderful and troubled times alike. These were not her parents; these were soulless illusions of humans based upon an image that existed only in this phantom reality that blanketed the atmosphere of the room.

The next few minutes tested Ayer’s resolve several times more than the most heated of battles he had participated in. Never in his existence had he been so utterly dumbstruck by someone’s words. It was frank and simple: they didn’t believe her. Aunna’s own family was ashamed to be related to what the public viewed as a traitor and they were going to do everything in their power to change that. It sickened Ayer beyond explanation, if he had had a stomach, he probably would have thrown up.

When she asked him to leave with Vex, he didn’t have to look at the man to where they were going to go. His only response was to stand a little stiffer slightly extend his feathers— the whisper of metal sliding on metal his only answer, but it was clear: I’m not going anywhere.

This wasn’t how a family acted. This wasn’t right. This went against every bit of coding and reference Ayer could compile. As the confrontation continued, Ayer became more and more agitated. Every variable in his processors was hitting a brick wall and posted on every single brick was a gloriously unhelpful sticky note that read: Error, something is wrong. Please fix something and try again later.

The air around his feathers began to crackle with energy and the air took on a slight tinge of ozone. When Vex stepped up to have his say, it was all that kept Ayer from catching something on fire. Like Sarah. Her father, Ayer could tell, was not such a bad man. He wanted only for everyone to be happy. Unfortunately, it seemed that compromise was long since out of the question and thus his only option other than taking a side was to remain neutral and silent. He was no better. A coward.

Ayer tore away from his brooding before something got broken, like Sarah, to watch as Vex forward to break something for him, like Sarah. While thanking his maker for being unable to be subjected to it, Ayer could tell when Vex was at work. The sudden stiffening of Aunna’s mother, the unblinking, fearful gaze set into the Jedi’s. He suddenly felt sick for a different reason. What Vex did to people was no different than someone reprogramming him, and just as violating. All the same, sometimes things need to be reprogrammed due to faulty variables, and Ayer just couldn’t bring himself to feel too bad for Sarah…

…until it ended.

It was that sudden expression of hopeless abandon and paralyzing fear of realization that revealed the horror of what Vex’s abilities did to people and Sarah was no exception. Ayer could only speculate as to what she was seeing before her waking eyes, and he didn’t even want to do that. Now to see that broken, sobbing, woman quivering in her armchair, Ayer couldn’t hate her. Aunna couldn’t either. She went to comfort her mother as a daughter should do in a normal family. What a mother would do for her daughter in a normal family. Ayer hung his head low, so many emotions, so much conflicting data, it hurt.

A whisper from her father drew his attention. Ayer froze— the expression on the man’s face was strikingly familiar. He had seen it so many times before he had been assigned on the face of his maker: calm, pure, and focused. Ayer had no doubts who was in charge in this family, but perhaps he was wrong about her father, if only a little. He had a heart and a soul. Perhaps even her mother did as well, deep down inside. Like….REALLY deep down…keep going…little more….yeah, there they are.

Ayer finally got his chance to speak as Aunna addressed him in reference to her father’s inquiry, and he took this chance with pleasure. I am Ayer, Avian Electronic Reconnaissance. I work with the Republic Special Forces team, HALOATW and am the assigned Familiar of Republic marksman, Sean Mu’haro. True I was listed a stolen, but that is not the truth. The truth is that I have been willingly assisting Aunna and Vex for some time now. I. A Republic droid believed her and recognized the situation.

I may have better understanding of these sorts of things, but my capacity for such issues is still comparably lacking, but it is not Aunna or Vex that confuse me most. You two are her parents, and yet you of all people deny her? This is not the way you treat your blood and certainly not the way you treat your daughter. You disgust and disappoint me Mrs. Borgonia and you’re not much better Lord Kuvos. It is just as great an evil to allow what has transpired to happen when you have the will and ability to resist it!

He suddenly realized his voice had been rising and that the air startled crackling with electricity again. He let out a sigh, retracted his feathers and continued solemnly.

I have a brother who abandoned his duties and went on the run. He never causes harm on purpose, however. He simply left because in his mind, cold barren place though it was, it was the right thing to do. To the records he is rogue, a traitor, but to us he will always be family. If he came back we would welcome him no less warmly. I am a Familiar, my brothers, sisters, and the people who created us and fight along side us are the closest thing to a family we have and we aren’t about to give that up. It saddens me that you could take such a thing as family for granted.

I will not say that Aunna didn’t make a mistake, but I can swear to you upon beak and feather that she made that mistake for the right reasons. My partner and I recognized that and we refuse to allow unjust harm to come upon her as long as we remain operational. This brings me back to the original subject: I would very much like to get back to him. If you will only accept what has happened from your daughter and cease this pointless fissuring between you, then I will consider my usefulness at an end and my task complete. I am required on Kuat in a short while and it would be most unfortunate if I were to be late.

Ayer stood and gazed straight into Sarah’s eyes. He didn’t want to put anyone else through more pain than necessary, but sometimes what was necessary took a lot to wade through. His photoreceptors flickered to Aunna for a split second, gave a wink, and flicked back.

Kovus blinked before looking sidelong at Vex. After a moment he turned his head fully and nodded.

I would assume that was the case considering everything I’ve been hearing from the news as well as the trial itself…if that could have been considered a trial…

He snorted slightly.

…More like a three ring circus. I doubt, though, with as stubborn as she’s always been, that she’ll back down from thinking her decision was the right one. She’s never been one to make a decision without thinking about its possible consequences first. I would think that, if you asked her, she would tell you that she knew something like this would happen…I mean her trial.

As she began to sing, Kovus fell silent once more, the pain in his heart weighing down his will to finish his thought. He’d never intended for this situation to come about.

Aunna hadn’t been so absorbed in the song, this time, to lose track of what was going on around her. Though the emotions of her father and mother seemed to ease slightly, Vex’s emotions…didn’t. Through that subtle link, she could feel him withdraw, shield himself, but she could somehow sense that he couldn’t close himself off completely. For a fraction of a moment she had considered closing that link off herself, if she were able to anyway, but she dismissed the thought. Why? Well it could have been any number of reasons, not the least of which being that she was greatly appreciating the support he was showing her by allowing that link. No matter her reason for not cutting the link, she was able to notice, through it, that while, yes, his emotions had shifted…they were not dulled or eased in any way.

The woman couldn’t quite pin point what it was he was feeling, the swirling tides of his emotions reminding her of the time they had kissed. She had felt something similar then, but had discounted it as her mind reading more into things than there really was. Now, she wasn’t so certain. These were certainly not her own emotions…however, she welcomed the new information and allowed a reassuring wave of her own to ripple back toward him. Aunna didn’t understand why she felt the need to make sure that he was alright, why she felt the need to give HIM reassurance, but she did. Poor man seemed confused enough around her already, so whatever her song was doing to him now must not have been comfortable for him, and she didn’t want to cause him to suffer any more than it seemed he wanted her to suffer.

As she’d spoken to her father, she had pondered this quietly as she noted his bowed head, the few bits of hair that had escaped and hung about his face. For a moment she found she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, but the former major swiftly realized and corrected the situation, sapphire orbs returning to the similar blue of her father’s. As Ayer introduced himself, Aunna sat back on her haunches for a moment silently before standing and folding her arms across her chest as she gazed at Ayer. She couldn’t help but agree with him, especially about her mother, but when he began to attack her father.

Blue eyes turned icy and narrowed dangerously.

The bird had little clue what he was talking about. Going against the entire family, as well as the expectations of the other nobles…it was practically a call for ritual suicide. As he paused she made certain to keep her thoughts to herself…well, as much as she could considering the link she had with Vex. No doubt he’d be able to hear and feel the defensive thoughts and anger that had boiled up in her. Outwardly, however, the only signs of his anger was a stiffening of her posture and that icy gaze she had fixed upon the droid as if she might freeze it over solid with her thoughts alone.

As he continued after calming himself, Aunna found herself calming, only to bristle again. There had been no mistake made on her part save the mistake of being caught. As he finished his little tirade, Aunna caught the ‘wink’ and dismissed it with a huff of air.

Will and ability are words that have little weight in a noble society when you are only one person…especially in a family where one side is strict and pompous and the other is patriotic almost to a fault…narrow minded in their militaristic views. I’ve always been a black sheep to mother’s side, so I expect it of them, and considering my…current status…in the Republic’s view, it would have only been a matter of time before father’s saw fit to think the same. This does NOT mean, however, that he does.

In THIS world, Ayer, you choose your battles carefully so that you’re not next on the list to perform ritual suicide…and if you play your cards right you can undo damage far faster than you could if you had gone against the grain from the start. While I cannot say my mother had such…kind…intentions, I know my father well enough to know that he is liking this situation about as much as I am, and is nearly as powerless against it if he hopes to help me later on.

It was obvious now how she felt about her respective families…at least in part…and though her father had tensed at the words, both Ayer’s and Aunna’s, he made no move to justify or refute either. It wasn’t his place to do so, they’d think what they liked, and while Kovus did find himself backed into a very tight corner, one he knew he couldn’t very well escape from easily, he agreed with the little droid as well. Sarah, on the other hand, gazed up at the others, hardly hearing Ayer as she collected herself and the studied the different people in the room.

Kovus was hardly taken in…she knew his thoughts and feelings on the matter well enough. They’d bickered over it more than once over the past month, and even more so after her conviction only a week and a half ago. Aunna, disheveled child she was, stood to the side with arms folded and icy eyes. She was closed off and obviously upset…but she had come to comfort her after that horrible…whatever…that dark jedi had done and now she was standing up for her father. Sarah also caught that look her daughter gave the dark jedi, this Vex. She pressed her lips together and wondered if he wasn’t playing with the girl’s emotions some how. Perhaps like he had forced emotions upon her only a few minutes before? Brown eyes then turned to the dark man himself. His head was bowed still, even after Aunna had stopped singing, and she wondered why he seemed so…troubled…by the song. It had helped sooth her feelings, she couldn’t imagine it doing anything else, but there he was face a perfect neutral, but standing as if something were bothering him.

Both women blinked over at Vex as he spoke to Ayer. Sarah was stunned simply over the fact that the dark jedi had had a philosophical discussion at all. Aunna, on the other hand, was baffled as to just when this discussion had taken place.

Philosophical discussion?

Philosophical discussion?

The two stubbornly refused to look at each other, despite the odd occurrence. Aunna’s eyes turned to Vex, then to Ayer, and back to Vex again as she raised an eyebrow. Sarah, on the other hand, gazed intently at the little droid for a moment before studying the dark jedi.

Wait, when did this happen? You two actually had a conversation without wanting to damage each other? Where was I during this?! ….I swear…I just had to miss the public relations mile stone…

Sarah and Kovus both looked at Aunna strangely for a moment, wondering just how she could manage to joke at a time like this. She shrugged mildly at their looks.

What? Sometimes I just have to try and have a sense of humor. —My life’s a cosmic joke after all…might as well laugh at it when I can.--

(modified since earlier since i finally got a chance to concentrate ~.~)

She felt him vanish, the connection severed and those walls of his slamming up. The only thing she could think: Fail. The woman sighed slightly and shook her head as he managed his hair once more, reaffixing that super controlled demeanor. Another moment and he was talking to Ayer as well…she could tell, however, that it was becoming more difficult for him to breathe. The rasp to his voice made her own chest tighten uncomfortably. She wished he hadn’t waited so long to put his mask back on.

This certainly wasn’t because she didn’t enjoy seeing him without, but rather because she really DID worry about the effects it might have on him. Aunna trusted him to know his limits, however, so she said nothing, simply lowering her eyes a bit and managing a slight chuckle at his explanation of ‘politics and nobility.’ When he pulled out that mask and put it on once more, she let out a silent, and almost relieved, breath. The reply he gave to her and Sarah had her smirking slightly and rolling her eyes at him. He was chastising her silently…or perhaps just subtly…with that look of his and his words, but she ignored them both, shrugging them off as well. It was then that Sarah sat up a bit more in her seat, finally seeming to have gathered her nerves enough to speak up once more.

Aunna…you have to know you can’t come back here….but…

She paused, seeming to think over her words carefully lest she receive another emotional jolt from the jedi.

I might have something to help you…at least…at least a little. Come with me.

Sarah stood, then, and smoothed out her skirts, heading away from the small group and toward a door on the opposite end of the room from where they had entered. Uncertain, Aunna watched her mother move away, her eyes narrowing slightly before she tentatively followed after.

Sarah led her daughter down a few halls, up the stair case, and into their opulent bedroom. Aunna, however, was feeling like a child again, some how in trouble for something she didn't do. Sarah didn't stop there, but continued on into the large bathroom adjoining it. It was here that the older woman stopped and began poking around in the cabinets, obviously looking for something specific.

Below, Kovus finally seemed to let his stony facade lower just a bit as he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand and moved to sit down, gesturing to a seat with the other in case Vex wished to sit as well. Lowering himself into the chair, he gazed intently at Ayer.

Kuat, you say? I can get you there if that’s where you need to go. I have…more than enough…family and friends, both active military and not, that would be willing to take you there.

He stopped the rubbing of his neck for a moment, the pain there easing up slightly now that he was sitting. Blue eyes traveled over to Vex and gazed at the man steadily as if attempting to decide just what to say to the more deadly of the two in the room with him now.

Well…I’ve heard the official reports, I’ve heard what the supposed facts were during the trial, I have not, however, heard your version of events. I attempt to make it a habit to hear all sides of the story before putting my own conclusion together and you seem as if you have a…

He paused a moment, pondering just what to say. Kovus couldn’t very well say that this man had a “good” head on his shoulders…he hadn’t seen much to signify the man was good at all, not that he’d seen too much to the contrary, but one didn’t exactly become labeled a dark jedi for being the best of people. He also couldn’t say that Vex was entirely sane…again, he couldn’t quite say anything to the contrary, but he wasn’t about to presume. Decent didn’t seem to fit the man either, not entirely…but he had to admit that so far the man had at least been logical.

…logical…head on your shoulders. Perhaps you could give me an idea of just what HAS been going on with my daughter and how you fit into her…situation…now? …And perhaps for how long. I understand that for some reason you felt the…desire…to aid her in escaping, for which I’m thankful, but I can’t say I understand your reasoning behind it, nor can I say I’m overly pleased in your dealings with her.

Last I knew Dark Jedi don’t typically go around saving young women without something in it for them.

A bit blunt, perhaps, but it would at least be easy to see, now, where Aunna got the trait.

Kovus was…content…to simply sit and listen to the pacing dark jedi as he spoke. The flashes of memory that he backed his words with was unexpected, but not entirely unpleasant. It helped slightly, seeing snippets of what exactly had happened through the jedi’s eyes, and he didn’t get the impression that they were doctored either. No, the things that he showed were unpleasant enough to be highly believable, and he even winced a bit at the sight of the injury she had received. Kovus sighed and shook his head…yes, that seemed like something Aunna would have done. The sight of the ‘disabled’ Samael Vorlax also earned a reaction…a gruff grunt of what could be considered approval. As Vex continued, Kovus nodded once as it matched up with the reports and testimonies at the trial. A shake of his head and Kovus chuckled slightly, but said nothing. It seemed the force user didn’t like Aunna’s decision either, he just wasn’t sure why. No doubt it had considerably lessened her usefulness to him. Vex’s cynical expression was ignored as he remained silent, allowing the dark jedi to continue on. At the mention of Andrew, Kovus barely withheld a growl, his own emotions echoing dark jedi’s. He barely even heard the rest of what was said.

Enough to give me a decent idea, yes.

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The trail had gone cold.

In the time since the escape of Aunna, the two jedi and padawan that had been chasing her had attempted to put together clues about the truth of the matter behind the woman’s traitorous change, and her subsequent ‘release.’ Clues as to potential movement had run dry on Manaan and Nar Shaddaa both…so now, they found themselves here. Corellia, the birth place of the woman herself…she had family here, lots of it, and so it was a logical place for them to receive help. It didn’t hurt that the Togruta, and only woman of the group, had felt a subtle pull toward the planet the closer they had come to it, like a nagging at the back of her mind.

Now, Sihara pulled the speeder up to the gate of the manor in which the woman’s parents were said to live. Her partner, Theron, was still in Coronet, most likely poking around for clues as to if the two had actually come here or not. Makiro was settled in the seat beside her, and though she had that nagging feeling that something was about to go wrong, she said nothing for several moments while the guards came out to meet them. Only once they had sent someone to inform the Lord and Lady of their new visitors did she turn to look at her young apprentice.

Makiro, I do believe there is going to be some kind of trouble here. I want you to be on your guard and remember your promise to me. If I say run, you run and you don’t stop to think about it. Find Theron and follow his instructions. If I tell you to hide, hide…but I doubt that will be an option in this case. You understand, yes?

She couldn't have known about Vex being in the mansion...he was hidden away in the force, shrunk down so even her considerable power in Sense couldn't pick him out of the wood work. Of course, she could pick out the various people residing in the mansion...she had little idea who each was, however...until she noticed one in specific. One she'd been around before...

....Aunna.

She's here...Makiro, I need you to be extra cautious now. If she's here there's a chance the Dark Jedi is also...I don't...sense him....but....that doesn't mean much if he's as good with telepathy as the information I've gathered suggests.

Kovus didn’t need the force to tell that Vex was pleased with himself. In all honesty, the older man was pleased as well. Andrew had never completely sat right with him, and after he’d learned about what he’d done to his daughter…well, a noble on the war path was bad enough, but one with military influence was FAR worse. Try as he had, however, Andrew had proved slippery enough to evade him time and again. That hunt had drawn back into the shadows over time, but the hatred of the man and the urge to find him and make him pay had not.

Every person had a darker side to them, no one was ALL good, and Kovus was no different. The twisted images that Vex showed him were sickening, yes, but satisfying for the man who’d gone for years trying to exact revenge for his daughter. Aunna…didn’t know about this hunt, but Vex (by now) surely would. An amused snort was all Kovus gave in reply to the dark jedi’s words, but his own barely visible smirk echoed the larger smile that resided behind the mask. It was nearly a moment of Male Bonding…oddly enough…and Kovus almost felt the need to give the other a well deserved pat on the back. That desire vanished swiftly as he heard the snarl erupt from Vex’ throat.

In a moment he was tensed and moving to get up, automatically reaching for a weapon that wasn’t there. It wouldn’t have helped anyway considering the assault that came after. It had him staggering for a moment, but he managed to stay upright (for now). Kovus wasn’t stupid, he didn’t know what had this man in such a mood suddenly, but he hadn’t been illogical so there HAD to be a reason. That reason came soon enough, as his mind was laid bare and those words (if one could call them that) came burning into his thoughts. A gruff and derisive laugh forced its way from his throat and he stopped whatever struggling he’d been doing against the intrusion. He had nothing to hide, so why make it appear he did? In essence, Kovus allowed his mind to go limp under the thrashing, almost frantic, search the dark jedi made of his mind.

Blue eyes gazed unseeingly as Vex came and went like a thief in the night, upturning everything in his wake. Only once he was released from the death grip on his mind did Kovus sink back into his seat to sort his mind out and set it to rights once more.

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Sarah and Aunna had been unaware of the happenings below them.

Aunna had watched, mildly surprised, as her mother had pushed a bottle into her hands, then gone about studying her as if trying to figure out just what else needed to be done. Confused, she had simply gazed back until, at last, her mother had called for one of the maids. A few moments later a knock came at the door and Aunna was pushed hurriedly into her mother’s closet and silenced with a finger as Sarah shut the door.

“Ma’am you called for me?”

Yes…I actually had a question. I’ve noticed…your eyes, they’re a rather odd shade of hazel…I was curious as to if you changed them some how or if they were natural.

“I…um….I don’t believe I understand ma’am”

Oh don’t be silly girl, I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just curious because I’m looking to go to a costume party with a friend of mine, and the costume requires me to have different colored eyes than I have….I was wondering if you might happen to have, or know of someone who has, contacts.

The girl seemed to relax a bit then and grinned.

“Well, yes, actually…I have a pair unopened if you’d like to see them? Maybe they’ll help?”

Sarah beamed, glad to know that she could actually get her hands on the contacts themselves without having to go find some herself in Coronet. That, after all, would have taken far too much time.

Please do, and hurry if you can, she’s waiting for a return call from me, my friend is.

The maid nodded and hurried from the room. Even as she did, Aunna felt a tingle run up her spine, that subtle gnawing at her gut that set her on edge. She could hear Sarah rummaging around in the bathroom again, no doubt trying to find ‘useful’ items for Aunna to take, then another knock at the door had the closeted woman jumping in mild surprise. It seemed the maid had returned with the contacts, and…well that was an interesting transaction. Why did she need contacts again? Well with the bottle in her hands and the contacts, it was fairly easy to discern the line of thought her mother was following. It actually, for once, was a good idea.

No sooner had the door shut again than Vex’s words lanced into her mind.

Confused and now concerned (and to be honest a bit frightened), Aunna nodded to herself, but didn’t reply. If there were jedi around it was bad enough that they might know she was here, but….if they thought Vex was here...that made her pause. “Distract” was not a term Vex used…not in the typical manner anyway. HIS version of distraction ended in a transport full of dead bodies on Coruscant, or an ally full of them on Manaan…distraction was not something she was wanting from him right now. A growl of displeasure rippled from her back toward him as she attempted to grab hold of that thought and tether him there. She might as well have been trying to grab hold of smoke.

As Sarah opened the door to the closet once more, Aunna had already been moving. She swept past her mother and into the room, startling the noblewoman considerably. Blue eyes swept the room swiftly, lighting on a small bag that had been settled on the bed. It hadn’t been there before, so she assumed it was whatever Sarah had been gathering. Grabbing the bag and tossing the bottle into it, she rounded on Sarah.

There are jedi on their way, mother, and I swear, if I find out you or any of our family are behind it…

She didn’t bother to finish the sentence…it was, for the most part, an empty threat anyway, not that her body language said it was. Far from it as sapphire eyes glinted coldly at her before she turned and hurried out of the room with a swift glance either direction. As she jogged down the stairs, she practically ran headlong into Ayer.

I assume he went out the front?

Compliance never had been one of Aunna’s strong suits and if she could catch Vex before he did anything stupid it would be better off in the long run.

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Sihara could feel the movement inside, the dark reverberations in the force that echoed out their warning of swiftly approaching danger. It crashed around her in waves as the guards pointed them in the direction of an area to park the speeder. She did so calmly, but once it was off, she looked to Makiro as she stepped out of it. He was young…too young…to face the kind of enemy she assumed would be here with the Borgonia daughter.

No, she couldn’t feel him, but she didn’t need to. Highly attuned senses caught the dark ripples of warning in the force, the confused and alarmed waves the Borgonia daughter was sending outward was NOT what she was sensing. It seemed the woman had more talent than the togruta had thought upon interrogating her. Stretching out those senses, she willfully sought out the source of the violent storm that was brewing.

I want you to stay here for now. There is a dark warning in the force, if you cannot sense it yet, I want you to quiet your mind and attempt to. I want you to feel for that, and to feel for direct threats to your person…you will know if there is one, they feel considerably different and more violent.

Right now I wish to test the waters and make sure that whatever warning I’m feeling is something that you can live through, young as you are in your training still. I will keep our link open so that if you need me or feel you are in danger you can reach me easily.

With that, the knight closed the door and stepped out of the light that shown down on the speeder. As she moved along, further into the grounds, she could feel motion in the force, something that felt like communication, but…narrowed as it was…she couldn’t entirely be certain. She pulled her saber from her belt, senses tingling along everything about her, noting potential weapons, and building up her mental shields. When she felt she was ready, she addressed those in the area who were force sensitive at large.

This is jedi knight Sihara Horula, I have come to arrest Aunna Borgonia, traitor to the Republic, and Vex Praetor, Dark Jedi and enemy of the Republic. I know that you are here Aunna, and I do not wish to harm you.

Well, this was and wasn’t true…Sihara herself did NOT wish harm upon the woman, but by arresting her, she would, invariably, be condemning the woman to death. Oh how she hated her job sometimes.

Vex Praetor, I believe that you also are here…I doubt Aunna is the cause of the warnings I feel in the force. If you ARE here, stop hiding your presence and show yourself…I have more than a few questions for you.

She had stopped her movement just outside a pool of light, keen golden eyes searching through the darkness as she sensed for motions, allowing her montral to bring her that extra sensory information. Well, if the dark jedi WAS still with the woman hopefully he'd actually decide to show himself...if not...well, she'd be looking rather foolish soon.