Faction Dawn Will Arrive

[Resurgent Narrative]

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Knight Commander Marionne Roule is perhaps one of the last of the original Knights. Today, on this day of all days, the day when the Fall began. We gather to honor those who have passed, we mourn them here in this city of Gawain. ​

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Furthermore, we take our claim at Fort. Excelsior. The last First Imperial Fortress to have survived both the Siege and the Fall. It is here we make ourselves known, and it is here that we come to know each other. We will sit at the Round Table and we will break bread with one another, and then we will hoist our banner proudly and head toward Avalonia.​

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You might ask who I am, I am nothing more than a scribe, a bard if you will. My name is Wilhuff Ahren, Knight Commander Roule has already gone ahead to Lake Nimue. It’s where the fallen Knights of years past are remembered. I'd welcome you to Gawain properly, but I don't believe we'll have time as of now. Go on, Lake Nimue is roughly twenty kilometers northeast of the city. ​

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Octavian Zall | Firenne Van-Derveld | Matma Bernu | Odesia Ursa | Juliana Alderdice | Varick Lechner​

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Spoiler: The Dawn Will Arrive

The following lyrics are set to the melody of Dragon Age Inquisition's The Dawn Will Come, featured here.​

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Concordia has fallen​

Hope has fled​

Stand your ground​

Dawn will arrive... ​

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The fight is long​

The road is dark​

Look to the stars​

For One Day...​

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The Dawn Will Arrive.​

The protector’s lost​

Her life has gone​

Keep to the Stars​

For One Day...​

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The fight is long​

The road is dark​

Look to the stars​

For One Day...​

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The Dawn Will Arrive.​

Bare your blade​

Raise it high​

Stand your ground​

For One Day...​

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The fight is long​

The road is dark​

Look to the stars​

For One Day...​

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The Dawn Will Arrive.​

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[Matma Bernu]

(Now Playing)

MATMA BERNU


I hope I'm not too late.

For the umpteenth time, I sighed loudly as I (responsibly) pushed the land-speeder to it's limits. Coming from the our family homestead outside of Avalonia, I knew I had I make sure I got up early enough to make it to Lake Nimue in a timely fashion. But I didn't anticipate two things.

One, my wife, Wylla, insisting I bring a spread of a variety of food to the Round Table- which she of course had ready, wrapped, and waiting when I was coming down the stairs. "Oh, don't tell me it's 'not that type of party' ", she said, ignoring my protests. "Knights get hungry too. Besides, first impressions are important. Please consider that." Then, she smiled and looked at me in a way that warned of dire consequences if I continued down this path. Gotta pick your battles.

Then, for some reason only the Gods can fathom, the girls were up. All three of them. On a day where had no chores. Or schooling. On some level I was touched that a bunch of teenagers actually cared enough to see their old man off, but like I said, tight schedule, right? Fortunately, Wylla was able to redirect them from asking too many questions about meeting the space wizards, and off I went, platter and all.

My thoughts were interrupted as I saw Lake Nimue come into view. I'd never admit this out loud, but I was somewhat excited to meet the Knights in person. It'd be nice to put some names to faces, and meet the Knight-Commander formally. For the past two years or so, my "training" happened on the fly- there was a war to be fought. I didn't time to learn about some mystical, all-encompassing religion and fortunately my rotating cast of teachers didn't either. I learned to use the Force to be a better soldier, a better fighter- to protect those I cared about.

Guiding the land-speeder (and pointedly leaving the platter in speeder, for now) to a stop, I pushed my thoughts to the side and began to make my way down to the memorial; there was at least one person there already. Presumably the Knight-Commander. I steeled myself and went to introduce myself a living legend, snapping a crisp salute and a terse, "Good Morning Knight-Commander, Novice Bernu, at your service".

Well, here goes nothing.



Octavian Zell | Firenne Van-Derveld | Odesia Ursa | Juliana Alderdice | Varick Lechner | Resurgent Narrative

 

[Juliana Alderdice]

The flaming whip of Juliana's braid flicked this way and that as the young Novice completed her exercise, slowing from a spring to a jog outside the small bed-and-breakfast at which she had rented a room. Gawain was still waking, but she had been up for some time now, first for meditation and then for exercise. The running had come easy to Juliana; she was a natural athlete. The meditation had not; the young woman had difficulty turning the niggling thoughts in her brain off to focus. She knew this was a weakness, and it was a struggle to find the discipline that she required to master the art of meditation. She had opted instead for a period of silent reflection, which seemed appropriate given it was Remembrance Week.

She had showered, re-braided her fiery hair, coiling the braid into a loop at the back of her head, and dressed before heading out. The speeder bike took her out to the lake in short order, and Juliana locked it up before taking to the trail that led up to the memorial. She wasn't alone; there were others making their way along the paths. The young Novice gathered her coat around her as she walked, protection against the breeze that rustled through the woods as they approached the lake.

She took up a position overlooking the lake and laced her fingers together behind her back, stretching as she gazed out over the pristine lake. She took a breath, closed her eyes, and reached into the Force, drawing on it like water in an oasis. Always practicing, always learning, Juliana sought to improve her connection to the Force whenever she could. Perhaps the presence of her fellows would streamline her efforts. Calm your mind. Focus. You must work on discipline if you are to succeed.

Octavian Zall | Firenne Van-Derveld | Odesia Ursa | Varick Lechner | Matma Bernu | Resurgent Narrative​

 

[Octavian Zall]

A piercing pair of amber eyes observed the gentle lap of water against the shore, quiet ripples disturbing the surface of the lake as the fish within nibbled at bugs unfortunate enough to fly too close to the water. "Tranquility abounds." a quiet whisper revealed to itself. It was a dichotomy. Peace. Struggle. A false dichotomy. The thought brought a twitch to the corner of Octavian's lips. How many hundreds, how many thousands had been swayed by the lies of the Jedi or the Sith? How many had been peddled naught but doctrine and dogma? The number was innumerable. Even he had nearly fallen for the lies - tattoos adorning his body from head to toe a permanent reminder of his folly.

Today however was not a day to dwell on the past. Something new had begun, a changing of the order of things. Nimble footsteps carried the Knight silently through the trees. As he began to walk he closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind and relying on his reflexes to avoid branches, trees, and brush. Slowly at first, left foot, right foot, duck, weave. Eventually he was running at full pace, eyes closed.

Others found peace through silence, peace through meditation - Octavian however found quite the opposite. Peace came to him in those moments where nothing else could consume his mind, when he was solely focused on the task at hand. His breathing, his pace, his movement all formed a rhythm. Through his connection to the Force he maintained a distance of near 15 meters from the lake's edge as he quickly began making his way around it. This was his meditation.

 

[Odesia Ursa]

It was a new day - a new horizon.

Though calloused by both rod and flesh, Odesia remained indifferent to the pain of the galaxy. With each blink of an eye, the lasting presence of war had stained itself into the very fabric of "peaceful" living. Homes were uprooted, families shattered by the overwhelming will of forces beyond their meager portion of control; enslaved they were, stripped of choice and agency, exposed to the apathetic sting of tyrannical sterilization. Nothing ever changed, and through the eyes of many-a population, the image of savagery and war would be forevermore burned into their collective memory.

The shackles never truly came free, for the countless lives beyond - nor for Odesia; though free of his physical restraints and former life as a slave, his mind would frequently revisit the experience. Through this pain he understood what it was to survive, and how to mold the animosity he felt so often before into a tool many would consider poisonous to the soul. Enriched by the wisdom of violence, yet damaged by its residual ache.

This would be the day he opted to try his hand at change - to learn and grow as a vessel for knowledge, and to demonstrate the findings discovered within himself to better those around him. Even as pain is experienced, and hardships arise from crumbled dreams, Odesia took pride in the sentiment that one must not succumb to the cries and misfortune of others, instead vying for stoicism and control. Only then will cowardice and meek resolve be forced to look upon the essence they lack, challenged to adapt or perish.

Finding himself standing just a few feet away from Lake Nimue, the silent white clad youth looked onward. His mind uninhabited by distraction or grievance, instead captivated by a glimmer of serenity all but lost to his scarred spirit. He basked in this euphoric wave, subconsciously taking note that perhaps, after all, something alive stirred within his very bones.

Something innocent, still.

 

[Firenne Van-Derveld]

A dark, lithe form wove its way through the trees, keeping to the confines of what shadows there were. There was deliberate grace in her movements, in a manner only achieved by those born to such a form. There were others already gathered at the meeting place, still others moving through the various pathways and the forest to converge upon the appointed spot. She paused, head tilted to one side before continuing on her chosen path.

She breathed in deep, savoring the scents of the deep forest and enjoying the solitude her chosen route granted her. It was a freedom she rarely had the chance to enjoy and part of her still missed the time she spent amidst the extended family she'd discovered some few years ago. But so many had gone missing and others remained with the Confederacy in spite of everything...perhaps some day they'd come to their senses.

But that day was not today, and Firenne would not waste any more time giving thought to what-ifs and maybes.

She shook her head and picked up the pace, ceding some of the silent movement for the speed her four legged form was capable of when she channeled the Force. She cut out of the tree line and raced up a rock outcropping at the lake's edge. In a moment of impetuous glee, she lept off and dove into the water, surfacing to paddle her way to shore. While made for running, swimming was not the most graceful of endeavors for a wolf.

Picking her way carefully out of the water, her ebon-furred form shook for several seconds to dry herself off somewhat. It took only a moment to get her bearings, and then she was off and running again, narrowly avoiding a collision at a particularly dense gathering of trees. A mental apology was briefly sent the gentleman before Firenne made her way to the appointed gathering spot. She offered a soft bark by way of greeting as she arrived, before remembering that not everyone had met a Lupine before.

A faint frisson of pain danced down her spine, the familiar ache settling into the back of her neck as she metamorphosed back into her human form. Petite and dark haired, she smiled sheepishly and offered a proper verbal greeting. "Hi there...sorry about that! Still sometimes forget to shift back before I try saying something."

 

[Varick Lechner]

For someone who had and still would kill to protect his family, he'd left his siblings behind when he'd left Confederacy space for the last time.

They had found their places and were content to continue as they had been. He was not.

Training as a Sith had brought him power and a skill set that made the most of his martial abilities. It suited the rage he'd left Stewjon with originally, but it had become a trial where once it had been effortless. His rage had been tempered by his experiences in the galaxy at large, until only his sense of duty had remained. Varick had stayed as long as he could, in spite of disappearing for months at a time in an effort to find his new balance.

He'd found it on Dosuun in the midst of the Ssi-Ruuvi attack, holding shields in place to protect citizens as they retreated and over soldiers as they stood their ground. It was a sense of duty and purpose he hadn't felt before, and even in the midst of war his soul had found its peace. Varick had met Marionne in the midst of that fresh hell, and lent her every scrap of ability and knowledge he possessed as she sought to do what she could for the people.

So Varick had remained, sending word back to his brother and sister that he would not be returning to them. He missed them, some days desperately so, but knew they each had to walk their own path and they'd eventually meet again.

He breathed deeply, upturned hands resting on his knees as he sat cross-legged on a sun-warmed rock. It was close by to the meeting place, so his wolf noticed Firenne's arrival. A smile curled his features as he sent her a mental greeting, barely managing to not laugh as she began her greeting still in her lupine form. Shaking his head, he ran his fingers through his hair as he stretched and eventually rose to his feet. Dressed simply in dark gray tactical garb from his military days, there was a pair of swords crossed on his back in lieu of lightsabers, and a scuffed,. matte gray chain looped around his waist.

Varick hopped down and strode slowly over to the gathering, taking stock of each of the beings that had gathered and remaining silent as he came to stand between Firenne and Juliana.

Juliana Alderdice | Odesia Ursa | Octavian Zall | Resurgent Narrative​

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

Marionne could feel the presence of the other knights as they gathered around Lake Nimue. She turned around and surveyed the landscape before, and studied each of them. "Come closer, you needn't stand so far away, we are after all of such few numbers," Marionne began to address the knights some were in meditation and others were not. "We gather today to remember the lives of the Knights who have passed before us, to those whose bodies were never recovered and to those whose spirits who yearn to find peace." Peace, peace had been an abstract concept to her once upon a time.

"I see that you have all received Scribe Ahern's message well enough," a small smile, soft but with just a pang of sadness. Marionne approached the water's edge and waved to the knights to place themselves at her side around it. "Look upon your reflection, and who do you see? What do you see?" Two questions, "think of the answers and meditate on this, and know that when we return here in a year's time that what and who you see will be different than what you have in your mind's eye now."

"I will give to you each, a poppy. You will place this poppy into the water and remember that one day, there will be another knight who will gather here and remember you, and how you lived your life."

"The Knights who are not with us, gave all they had to the people of Dosuun." She began to walk around and hand out the poppies, "they swore to serve these people, for strength does not make one capable of rule, but of service." Red poppies with black centers were given to the knights one by one as she spoke, slowly stepping around them. "They remembered not to throw their lives away so frivolously, they remembered that at one point all men are weak and that we as Imperial Knights of the First Order, will protect the weak."

"They understood that saving ten innocent lives was not worth killing one innocent," a pause as she came to stand between the knights with a single poppy left in her hands. "That is to say, ten lives are not worth more than a single life. All innocents are equal." Still, the hint of sadness lingered in her voice and it was clear the Knight Commander recalled those who had passed and exhaled. "So as we remember the knights of the past, let us sing of their fight, let us sing of the Dawn that they fought so hard to see," she had no expectations that all would sing, chant, or speak would suit her just fine.

Once the song had been spoken, chanted, or otherwise sung, Marionne's gaze fell to the poppies that floated in the water. "Now then, Knights. Let us march toward Excelsior, it shall be where we call home it is located ten klicks north of here. There we shall raise our banner and reclaim the fortress for our own."

Varick Lechner | Juliana Alderdice | Matma Bernu | Odesia Ursa | Octavian Zall | Firenne Van-Derveld

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[Matma Bernu]

I looked down stonily at my poppy floating in the water, humming along- never quite had the ear to catch the right tune. I chewed on the inside of my mouth as I mulled over the Knight-Commander's words.

"I will give to you each, a poppy. You will place this poppy into the water and remember that one day, there will be another knight who will gather here and remember you, and how you lived your life."

My legacy? Honestly, outside of being there for my family, I never thought of my legacy. But maybe I should. I've always wanted peace for my children- but maybe there's more to it than that. Maybe being a Knight, serving the First Order...I can take a role outside of being the good soldier.

"The Knights who are not with us, gave all they had to the people of Dosuun. They swore to serve these people, for strength does not make one capable of rule, but of service. They remembered not to throw their lives away so frivolously, they remembered that at one point all men are weak and that we as Imperial Knights of the First Order, will protect the weak. They understood that saving ten innocent lives was not worth killing one innocent. That is to say, ten lives are not worth more than a single life. All innocents are equal. So as we remember the knights of the past, let us sing of their fight, let us sing of the Dawn that they fought so hard to see. So as we remember the knights of the past, let us sing of their fight, let us sing of the Dawn that they fought so hard to see."

A wary as I was (and still am, I suppose) of Force Users, that's why I never hesitated when the Imperial Knights called me up. They were never about dominating others, or examining their navels and pondering the mysteries of the Force- they saw these gifts, these awesome abilities we were endowed with, as a responsibility. And with those gifts, they were compelled to serve their fellow citizen. It was that simple.

"Now then, Knights. Let us march toward Excelsior, it shall be where we call home it is located ten klicks north of here. There we shall raise our banner and reclaim the fortress for our own."

I forcibly suppressed the urge to sigh loudly and jogged over to the land speeder. Checking the platter- still in pristine condition- I set the speeder on autopilot and set the coordinates for Fort Excelsior. I'm not marching 10 klicks with a platter like a nerfherder, and I'm not getting on the bad side of Wylla, so sending it ahead was the best compromise.

I jogged back over to my fellow Knights to strike up a conversation- after all, we had a walk ahead of us.

Octavian Zall | Firenne Van-Derveld | Odesia Ursa | Varick Lechner | Resurgent Narrative

 

[Juliana Alderdice]

Juliana wasn't much for ritual or grand speeches, but she listened along anyway. Still, she supposed that all organizations must have their rituals. Perhaps in time she would come to regard this one with nostalgic fondness. She took the red poppy and examined it for a few moments. It was exactly like the ones she saw dotted on the lapels of people she passed in the streets on her journey of exercise that morning. It was Remembrance Week, of course, so variations on a theme made sense.

When prompted, Jules knelt on the damp sand and gently placed the poppy on the lake. A gentle lilting wave pushed it back up to the shore, then pulled it back out onto the glassy surface of the lake. She watched it for a few moments, then rose to her feet again, brushing the sand from the knees of her trousers, and respectfully listened to the song.

She was pleased when it all wrapped up and the journey to the castle could begin. She wondered just what 'reclaim' meant -- were there enemies there to be thwarted? Had it become overgrown? She would just have to wait and see, she supposed, and so she took up her place with her comrades and followed Marionne. "Hello," she said to the others in her vicinity. "I'm Juliana — a novice," she clarified. "Have you been with the Knights for long?"

 

[Matma Bernu]

I looked over to Juliana.

"Hello Juliana, I'm Matma. I been a Knight for about...hmm, two, two years I suppose. Most of my training happened during the war though, some I'm still classified as a Novice as well. Didn't get much training outside of, 'stick the lasersword here'."

I hummed thoughtfully, turning toward Juliana fully. "What made you want to join the Knights?"


Octavian Zall | Firenne Van-Derveld | Odesia Ursa | Varick Lechner | Resurgent Narrative

 

[Firenne Van-Derveld]

Fingers gently cradled the poppy as each Knight was handed a pristine blossom for the brief ceremony. Her voice emerged softly as the song began, pitched a little bit higher to bring a gentle harmony to the lyrics they all knew. As her voice faded back into silence, she knelt and allowed the water to fill her fingers and gently lift the flower into its embrace.

Her voice emerged once more, a soft litany of names she had committed to memory falling past her lips. Giving their memories light and life once more, Firenne remained there for several moments before rising once more. It was a moment for somber reflection and a gentle reminder from Marionne that some day, it would be a poppy carrying their own names in remembrance.

Absently tugging her wrap into place, her right hand fell to her lightsaber hilt briefly, out of reflex ensuring that it was secure. Blinking up at Marionne, she nodded and fell into step beside the others as little conversations picked up between them.

“Pleased to finally meet you both, Juliana and Matma. I’m Firenne, one of the order’s Sentinels. Originally trained as a Nightwitch when I was still part of the Knights Obsidian in the Confederacy. Met the Commander in the middle of Dosuun during the Ssi-Ruuvi attack, and I’ve been with her ever since.”

//Elder brother, now would be a lovely time to say something.// Firenne sent gently to Varick, her mind-voice light and teasing.

 

[Varick Lechner]

His voice echoed, a deep baritone supporting the song as it lifted into the air, emotion writ heavily into each syllable. It took him several moments to compose himself enough to kneel at the shoreline. The delicate poppy cupped in his palm was soon set afloat to join the others, a brief pause after the names of those who had given their lives in service emerged.

Varick’s words rumbled deep within his chest as he straightened. “March ever onward, my brothers and sisters, we carry the duty forward in your names.” Hands adjusted his gear as he moved to join the others as they began their trek.

//Yes, thank you, little one, what a delightful idea...// he responded in kind to Firenne, mind-voice rife with sarcasm and amusement alike, though a faint snort emerged audibly. They had an almost sibling-like relationship forged over the last few years, as both had left what family they had behind in the Confederacy.

Damn if she didn’t have a point, though.

Reaching up to tie his long hair back as the wind picked up and they began to move, Varick nodded to each of the others in turn.

“Good to meet you all at last. I am Imperial Knight Varick Lechner, also formerly of the Confederacy, and also met the Commander on the battlefield of Dosuun. Please just call me Varick...and feel free to ask any questions you might have. I’m more than happy to answer any that you might have.”

 

[Juliana Alderdice]

Juliana greeted Matma Bernu , Firenne Van-Derveld , and Varick Lechner in turn, a broad smile crossing her lips. "Two years?" she echoed Matma. "How thrilling. Me? Well, I was tested during my first routine checkup after returning to Dosuun, and they said I had the gift and gave me a pamphlet. I just had my aptitude exam and interviews a few weeks ago, so this is my first official event as a First Imperial Knight." Her toothy smile broadened as she felt a sense of pride well in her.

The other two sounded like they had been around longer — perhaps even before there were First Imperial Knights. "Did you encounter any Ssi-Ruuk?" she asked Firenne and Varick breathlessly. She had only heard of the terrible creatures, heard the horror stories from the survivors on her supply runs to Pa'desh. But by the time she had come to Dosuun to take advantage of the homesteading opportunities, the Ssi-Ruuk Imperium had been vanquished, at least from known space.

"Have any of you been to Fort Excelsior before?" she went on, unable to control her curiosity. "Do you know what we're going to encounter there? I don't have a lightsaber yet, but I'm not too bad a shot with this thing," she sad, patting the blaster strapped to her thigh.

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

The journey to Fort Excelsior was filled with calm, Marionne smiled as she heard Varick and Firenne talk to one of the novices. "If I recall correctly we met in the Valley that rests between the Cawood and Bussard Mountains, Firenne." Of course she could be mistaken, "the Cannary Valley." The Knight-Commander took the moment to slow her pace and allow the others to catch up. Novice Alderdice asked about Fort Excelsior and she couldn't help but smile it was certainly natural to be curious.

"Excelsior was and is quite the architectural feat, but the most we should run into are a few rats, maybe a cat." A smirk on her face as she looked over at Varick. "You'll be fine if we find one of those, won't you good sir Varick?"

"It's mostly overgrown by this point, but six years ago it was where we helped civilians escape the scales."

It hadn't quite been the last stand of the Knights, but it may as well have been Marionne thought to herself. They weren't too far from it now and it soon came into view. "There it is just over there," it certainly looked the part of an old Galidraani fortress with some clear influences of the modern era built into the face. "I am glad you are all here though, you lot are the first of the new Imperial Knights."

Marionne used the Force to push down the blades of grass gently, dirt rolled out of the way to reveal an old cobblestone path. "There, that is the path to the Fortress." The path was easy enough to follow, and once they arrived there had what looked to be boulders stacked without care. A last resort measure undoubtedly as the Knights tried to protect the civilians in their care. "Knights. I want you to focus on those boulders, and move them with the Force. Do not think about it, simply do. You must be able to move something as simple as a boulder as if it were second nature."

"Clear your mind, and focus."

Matma Bernu | Juliana Alderdice | Varick Lechner | Firenne Van-Derveld | Otzdrava Velexia | Odesia Ursa​

 

[Matma Bernu]

'Clear your mind, and focus.'

Easier said than done.

I'd been at it for a good ten minutes. Attempting to internalize what the Knight-Commander said. But don't think, simply do...was easier said then done. This was a boulder. A ton of rock. And I should just...will it to move? And that's always been my issue with the Force. I can imagine being able to react faster, fighter longer, hit harder. I can see that. Anybody who's ever heard of a Jedi Knight or a Sith Lord can see that. I can't see the mechanism through which I will this karking boulder to move through the air.

I gritted my teeth, veins bulging out of forehead. The boulder started to wobble. Slowly, surely, I can feel it rising. I'm doing it, I'm really-

I sneezed, and the boulder fell to the ground. Loudly. It echoed for miles. I'm sure that old man Ahren not only heard it wherever he is, but he's already started writing a song about Matma Bernu, the worst Imperial Knight who ever lived.

I started muttering epithets that would make a Hutt feel unclean, and started once again.


Resurgent Narrative | Juliana Alderdice | Varick Lechner | Firenne Van-Derveld | Otzdrava Velexia | Odesia Ursa

 

[Otzdrava Velexia]

Music​

"Know your place, whelp."

A gruff tone snapped at Velexia in the back of her mind.

Memories were all she held on to, dregs of the past embedded within her mind like splinters beneath fingernails; a hell of her own making, revisited frequently in the depths of dreams where the faces of fellow orphans she swore to never forget began to fade little by little. Velexia struggled to find herself among the vast emptiness where her heart should've been, only momentarily replacing it with fleeting victories and meaningless accomplishments. Her service in the Stormtrooper Corp; becoming recognized as a wielder of the Force; belonging to a much more grandiose scheme hardly calmed the yearning for something nearly irreplaceable, the desire to remember a moment of true happiness.

There was nothing.

As Velexia arrived at Lake Nimue, she found herself in solitude, gazing upon the lake itself and taking notice of the poppies floating gracefully just on the surface of the still water. Through the Force, she could feel the residual presence of those that had taken part of a ritual - a hint of sorrow tinged the area, yet it was entwined with something foreign to the Knightess...

Hope?

A calmness washed over Velexia, allowing her for just a moment to release everything she had been trying so hard to bury; warm tears rolled down her cheeks beneath the guise of her helmet, overwhelmed by mistakes and desires to change the past - a longing to save those that she swore to protect; all of her brothers and sisters taken from her, torn away from her life with no explanation or closure. With a sharp inhale, Velexia choked back the urge to break down - she grit her teeth and turned herself away from the lake, allowing the Force to guide her towards the other Imperial Knights' location.

"Know... your... place..."

That same voice became more distant within her mind, yet was still ever present.

Resurgent Narrative | Matma Bernu | Juliana Alderdice | Varick Lechner | Firenne Van-Derveld

 

[Resurgent Narrative]

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"You're doing well novice," Marionne remarked all the while casting a glance toward Varick and Firenne. She decided then to lend a hand, "remember, do not think, just do - I realize this might sound like rubbish." She reached out and flicked one of the smaller boulders out of the way. "Act on instinct, remember, calm yourself, and focus."​

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She could then sense another on approach, "Velexia." Marionne had wondered if they would see the rather stoic Knight about. Velexia was still something of a mystery to the Knight-Commander. She only knew that the person came from the Stormtrooper Corps and not much else. Fortress Exlcesior would make for a fine time to 'get-to-know' the Knight as any. "Breathe in, breathe out, you're both doing well." She looked at Novice Alderdice and again at Bernu. "Remember that the Force flows through all things." Midi chlorians be damned, the Knight-Commander thought to herself. ​

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"Alright, Firenne, Varick see if you can't help our novices here."​

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"Greetings Velexia, welcome, welcome to Fortress Excelsior." She paused and looked toward the Knight. "I admit it isn't much right now, as it's been taken back by nature but with a bit of elbow grease I'm sure we can restore it to greatness once more."​

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Matma Bernu | Juliana Alderdice | Otzdrava Velexia | Odesia Ursa | Firenne Van-Derveld | Varick Lechner ​

 

[Varick Lechner]

For his part, he very stoically and majestically choked on a sip of water at Marionne's comment regarding cats. Managing somehow to gather enough of his senses back into order, he carefully closed the flask and returned it to his pack. "Chase a cat up a tree once when you're inebriated and no one will let you forget it." Varick said with a smile, in spite of the slight embarrassment that colored his cheeks. It hadn't been one of his finer moments, but he hadn't shifted in far too long and coupled with heavy intoxication, the incident had provided Marionne with both entertainment and fodder for the last two years.

"We both did, Juliana. When we have a moment to relax, perhaps we can trade tales of the things we've all seen." He smiled with honest warmth in his features, resting a hand on the young woman's shoulder briefly as she turned toward the task.

Stepping back to observe the novices at the task, he 'looked' with the Force coloring his vision, using it to watch the ebb and flow of energy each was weaving in an effort to accomplish the task. They were making an excellent effort, and he was hard-pressed to find fault with them even as Matma dropped the boulder he'd had under control until his concentration slipped. The stream of curses passing from the Chiss' lips were quite the auditory entertainment and Varick had a difficult time keeping his composure, the hint of a grin teasing at his lips.

He nodded to Marionne as she spoke, breathing deeply and setting himself to the task of assisting Juliana and Matma in this first task. He carefully moved the largest of the boulders, setting them in deliberate positions to create defensive emplacements around the base of the outer structure. Wordlessly, he gave his support and guidance to the novices, letting them decide how much or how little of his aid to accept as they sought to set their minds on the proper path.

Varick did take a moment to gently brush his mind against Velexia's upon her arrival, hoping she would forgive the intrusion for a warm greeting. //I'm glad you came, Velexia.// He kept it brief, but his mind-voice conveyed the honest warmth of his words.

Resurgent Narrative | Matma Bernu | Juliana Alderdice | Otzdrava Velexia | Odesia Ursa​

 

[Firenne Van-Derveld]

In spite of the levity of the moments surrounding the beginning of the work, Firenne found herself moved to silence. An odd thing for the young Sentinel who generally talked to herself and everyone around her at all times, but there it was. Blinking, she stepped back beside Varick and turned her focus to the fort itself. The structure was strong and the damage relatively superficial in spite of nature's best efforts to reclaim the area after the Ssi-Ruuvi devastation. She canted her head to the side, a smile forming on her features as the novices set to their task and began clearing the rubble.

She stifled a soft laugh as Matma dropped the boulder he was controlling, and offered the offending rock a string of quiet curses. She had to commend his self control, however, as not even a moment later he'd composed himself and began again. At Marionne's request, she stepped forward to join Juliana and Matma in clearing the boulders, adding to the 'structures' Varick directed them towards.

As a Knight, he'd offered his assistance already, and as a Sentinel, Firenne did the same, but paused her own efforts since multi-tasking on this level wasn't precisely her strong point. //Show off.// she teased Varick discreetly.

Resurgent Narrative | Matma Bernu | Juliana Alderdice | Otzdrava Velexia | Odesia Ursa​