[Dev] Weaving As Ghosts

[Saera Willamina Savan]

It was night over a little world called Crystalsong, found in the furthest reaches of the southern arm of the galaxy. The world was remote and took months or years to reach without the proper navigational plot points. This allowed it to go unseen by the greater galaxy, untouched and preserved in all its natural beauty. There was once a local system-wide government in place, but with the Commonwealth mostly abolished due to conflicts with saboteur forces, Saera was left as the last guardian of this peaceful little planet. For all intents and purposes, she may as well have been governess, and the castle that overlooked all from the northernmost reaches of the planet left behind by her mother served as it's quasi-administration center.

Hmm... looking back at it, now that Arakyd owns Arcrystal-Mnaya, the orbital station probably belongs to that treacherous 'Mand'alor' Verd, she thought to herself pondering on things.

Since retiring from the Mandalorian Empire due to conflicts of political interest, her personal planner filled the datapad's screen top to bottom with goals of note. Her time could now be distributed to personal projects she never got the chance to finish. Several things were noted in the planner, such as having the old castle shielding and defenses repaired to meeting with several people from the Clans over land rental and protection, but what popped up as a reminder alert on the datapad was the meeting Saera had arranged with some vod from the clans seeking an apprenticeship.

Saera prepared a place in the castle's cold, stone-cut dry dock, a colossal monument of bridges and platforms if any there were, for her visitor's ship -- whatever kind that might be, whether their own or a transport. A message was sent out to [member="Nicair Claden"] through the local hypercommunications relay. It read: Greetings. The arctic of Crystalsong is cold and crisp; wear warm, dry clothes and avoid anything metal. I await your arrival. ~Saera W.. [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] was also sent a message regarding an invitation, though the young smith wondered if Merrill would ever come so far out.

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Saera Willamina Savan"]

Though Saera couldn't have known it -- it was one of the galaxy's better-kept secrets -- Mara had grown up in this neck of the woods, on the secret pre-technological world called Q-27. More publicly, she and her family were associated with the Kathol Outback, the Underground's latest bolt-hole and sometime war zone. And the Kathol Outback, itself intensely time-consuming to navigate, was right next door. Between those advantages, the message's instructions, and Mara's talent for instinctive astrogation, she arrived relatively promptly, a matter of days rather than months.

She'd heard of Crystalsong, though stories tended to conflict. Remote, flamboyant, austere, medieval, odd crystalline terrain -- she had no idea which of these ideas had any reflection in reality, if any. She knew, though, that at least one skilled alchemist lived and worked there. As executor and primary heir of her aunt's estate, she'd inherited a certain swordbreaker made by someone from this world. All things considered, she could get a pretty decent idea of the level of Dark Side influence on a given creation, and she hadn't found this one particularly vile. Better than working with Darth Ayra, for sure, and yet she'd done that a couple of times when circumstances required it. In the end, there was no reason not to accept the invitation.

Her ship, the Bullet Time, a miniature blockade runner with a starfighter's speed, touched down on Crystalsong. Mara left her crew aboard and emerged with a backpack full of odds and ends.

 

[Nicair Claden]

Nicair got out of the ship, his overcoat caught the clearing wind as the transport hatch opened, it reminded him of a raid he had recently been on, though there was no call to arms. He walked down the ramp to a woman who was there to greet him. He didn't quite know what to expect out of this apprenticeship but he knew he was ready to begin, more than ready to learn.

[member="Saera Willamina Savan"]

 

[Saera Willamina Savan]

Curiously enough, [member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] was the first to arrive. As much as Saera would have liked to personally greet the woman, she had just fallen asleep after a long night of research -- and the nights in the North sometimes lasted for months. Instead, a generic servant droid of some fashion helped her and her belongings in, and situated her with the keycard to a luxurious guest suite.

An alarm rung out on the holosystem networked into Saera's room. Someone had just requested docking clearance at the private port just east of the castle proper. An remarkable turn of events, both of Saera's guests had arrived within hours of each other. Already dressed in her usual clothes, she grabbed a cloak and rushed out of the room to receive her new guest. The port itself, a giant, icy wall of stone and crystal with multiple arms acting as docking collars and landing platforms, was only several hundred meters away from the castle itself. A couple of ornate tunnels connected it to the castle's lower levels to keep its travelers from the deadly cold and nigh-constant storming gales of the arctic tundra. Mystical teal flames erupted from braziers along the way as Saera paced towards the landing pad.

Saera stood at rest as a boarding ramp lowered before her.
"Su'cuy, [member="Nicair Claden"]. Vod, Welcome to Crystalsong."
There was an eerie, methodical coldness in her voice, yet it was soft and sweet.
It quickly turned endearing and warm as she continued, "Sorry about the cold. The planet isn't all like this but my mother, in her infinite wisdom, thought it prudent to put her caste in the one place no one would bother to disturb."
She looked down to her side disapprovingly; these were the first visitors she had in years.
"Needless to say, she was right.... Come, I'd like you to meet our other guest. Don't worry about your gathering your belongings, they'll be handled by the guards. There's so much do do and show!"

Saera gleefully turned around and practically skipped down the docks. Her cloak snapped in the wind behind her; her tails rustled like shrubs. Despite being such a bitter, chilly place, the enchanted braziers kept the way remarkably warm. It was the same kind of flame that fueled the forge this new apprentice of hers might soon get to see. Before Nicair knew it, Saera was already far ahead, though it was impossible for one to get lost in a hall with only two entrances.

Gaining some ways ahead of the prospecting apprentice, Saera found the suite she'd been keeping Mara in. If the apprentice couldn't find his way, either one of the Sentinels or some servant droid would show him the way. She knocked on the door a few times to see if Merrill was awake and free.

Spoiler

Sorry for the kind of... knotted, everywhere-at-once post. It was kind of hard thinking of a practical way to realistically handle two people arriving at relative times without this suddenly diverging into two separate threads of their own. I hope nothing is confusing.

 

[Nicair Claden]

Though she had taken a large enough gain on him, Nicair's long legs, and a jog kept him within sight of [member="Saera Willamina Savan"]. He was impressed with the castle so far, very remote, something he'd really enjoy. He followed her out the hall and waited in front of a suite for the occupant to come to the door.

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] (Is this going to be before or after the raid on Ilum?)

 

[Mara D'Lessio Merrill]

[member="Saera Willamina Savan"] [member="Nicair Claden"]

OOC: this one started first, plus it seems easiest to say that this one takes place first.

IC: Mara opened the door, still belting her robe more tightly around her. The castle air challenged her Freudian Slip, a minor Force artifact that kept the wearer warm.

"You must be Lady Savan." She offered her host a smile, then glanced past Saera's shoulder at the Mandalorian. Intimidating as he was, Mara's empathic senses picked up no hostility. "Thank you for your hospitality. The suite is impressive."

She meant it, too. As an heir of three of the largest corporations in history, she'd stayed in her share of palatial accommodations. The Crystalsong castle's guest suite measured up and then some.

 

[Nicair Claden]

The Mandalorian stood at attention and dipped his head in a small nod

"Nicair, ma'am."

[member="Mara D'Lessio Merrill"] [member="Saera Willamina Savan"]