Requiem of an Enemy (Alexandra Feanor)

[Ak'lya]

Alderaan was a quiet place. For the first time in a long while, Natasha felt at peace. She stood, quiet, mouth twisted in a childish grin, the woodland and mountains of the noble land stretched out before her. There was a thought that crept unbidden into her mind, the thought of living here. A small cottage, maybe, or a little house with some farmland. Maybe when she had the money, she could retire, and just live here. The sunrises must be beautiful here. Maybe she'd have to stick around. She was here pretending to be tourist, after all. She may as well do touristy things.

An awed diplomat is already half won over. The AI's quip broke the clean moment she had. A sigh escaped her, and she looked up at the mountains again. Shaking her head, she stepped away from the edge, sitting down on the grass near the forest's edge.

"Just living is not enough. One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little flower." The quote seemed to hang in the air as she lay backwards in the grass. She loved the way it tickled her skin when she moved.

​I didn't know you'd read his work. The AI would have been frowning if he had a physical form. When did you find the time?

"I did have free time between saving your life, old man." There was a snort that could almost be seen as a laugh from the AI. "I loved his paintings, so I tried his writing," She smiled again, the thought of them bringing back that serene thought.

Hmm. There was an almost unsettling noise to his response. She shuttered, a sudden chill creeping over her. You need to deliver the message yet. A low, regretful sigh escaped her, and she stood, slowly. Each blade felt like it begged her to stay, to enjoy the sun's warmth and their brushing caress for just a little longer. But she moved, her speed picking up, until she reached the forest where the locals had said the silver hermit lived.

Hesitantly, she stepped into the woods, trying to focus on the task at hand, trying to not get lost in the majesty of the forest. She had to find the Silver Lady and tell her the man who had tried to murder her was dead.

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Natasha Darkstar"] would not find herself alone for much longer, the silver lady having become much more active these days with her rejoining an order and finding a reason to keep herself in shape once more. The body she inhabited now was strange enough after all for her, and now she was needed again by an order, something she had forgotten in the years after the dismantling of her own order. Today was one of those active days as she dashed through the forest on a run, hair pulled back and her sabers tapping against her legs as she ran. Her body was not clothed in a robe for once, but rather a tunic and trousers that hugged her, the sort of dress she wore into warzones when she fought long ago. She did not expect to face enemies in this new order, it seemed more calm than the past but still, it was something she wanted to be used to just in case.

Due to this more active lifestyle, she had kept her mind open these days, letting her connect with the beings in the forest more easily and after a while something unnatural had entered the forest she knew up and down. At first she thought it might have been some animal that was entering the forest for the first time but after a while she was certain it was sentient, but not much more. With a sigh she applied the illusion that cast her back in time, ebony hair turning to a bright silver color, her eyes shifting from violet to an icy blue as her tail disappeared from sight. In a few moments she looked like the echani that many knew as the Silver lady, though much younger than she should be, choosing to return her visage to the more youthful appearance from the first half of her life. It was easier to be honest, what with the current body never seeming to age as it was.

Once the alterations and illusion was in place, she smiled and dashed for the location of the new being, wanting to know who it was as soon as possible. They were foreign, someone she had not yet encountered and that made her curious. She had been sure to inform Veiere that if he or the Jedi needed her and she was not at the temple, to head to Alderaan and contact the Silver Lady. Keeping the two identities separate was important to her, wanting to keep the Jedi involvement out of her life here, and hopefully keeping the government on Alderaan from interfering with her home, not that they would.

After a short while Natasha would become much clearer and it wouldn't be long before Alexandra found her. She pulled herself up onto a branch as she ran to a tree, using it to look around and figure out which direction Natasha was in exactly. After another moment she found her and pushed off the branch to the next, moving that way through the forest and causing the leaves to shake and rustle as she got closer. If Natasha was perceptive enough, she might even notice before Alex showed up out of nowhere.

 

[Ak'lya]

Even if Natasha was distracted, the AI was watching, always vigilant. Even if it annoyed her. There was always the payoff, to it. As the young woman took in the sights, the older mind was analyzing their surroundings. Each rustle of leaves, each chirp, he took into account. And there was something of.

Incoming. North-northwest, bearing 317. The words stabbed through her revelry, forcing her to focus. Cybernetically enhanced eyes scanned the forest, clicking on something off in the direction the AI pointed her.

And then, there was a woman in the trees.

She was beautiful, with flowing silver hair, and fine, defined features, like some fairy from a far off time. Natasha stared for a moment, the figure's inhuman grace and balance adding to the almost mystical feeling the woman gave her. A lump formed in her throat, the words she knew she needed to say hardening and blocking her voice. She swallowed them, forcing out an almost silent gulping noise.

"Are you the Silver Lady?" The timidness of her voice was apparent to even an untrained ear. "If so, I have a message for you."

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Natasha Darkstar"]

Alexandra blinked when she saw the girl turn towards her, her own footing almost missing out of surprise in being caught even though she had thought this girl would not be able to sense her. She remained on the tree though and stared at the woman who had watched her approach, curious until Natasha spoke and caused Alexandra to smile. Without so much as a hint of hesitation, the body dropped from the tree limb and her feet touched the ground, leaving her about a meter and a half from Natasha yet still silent while she choose to look the person over.

She didn't seem to react much at first, the silver haired woman looking over the intruder with a relaxed stance and almost as if she were staring at an animal that had wandered into her home without meaning to. Even if Alexandra had been informed that the girl had a message for her, she was curious and smiled, finding what she was looking for and sitting down on a place that would not be inconvenient. Once done she reached to her side, removing her sabers and placing them on the ground, taking the moment after to retrieve something from her side and to drink from it with a grin. It was only then that she placed the cap on the container and tossed it to Natasha with a few words to follow.

"Here, have a drink, little bit of ale from those Mandalorians that set up shop in Aldera never hurt anyone. By the way, who is this message from? Considering the name you just said, its either an admirer or someone that knows of the little urban legend I built up in the nearby cities." Her voice was just as relaxed as she looked, though it still held the softness she was known for. The woman was in her youth again, and this time she was going to enjoy it unlike the last time, even if an annoying spirit barked at the back of her mind to kill Natasha.

 

[Ak'lya]

Natasha's weight shifted as the woman stared. She felt like she was being appraised again, her mind flashing back to the auction block. Nervousness fluttered through her mind, the feeling of being exposed and worthless creeping back into her for a moment. She was glad the AI couldn't read her thoughts. He'd probably chide her for this. Another point of weakness. Another thing about her that needed fixing. Shaking her head, she forced them down. Maybe she'd find someone she could talk to. Maybe she'd have somewhere to call home.

And while she was dreaming, she'd love a pony.

As the other woman sat, a tension let out of her shoulders. Someone, espically someone as dangerous as a master of the Force, had a harder time killing you while sitting down. That didn't mean she planned to drop her guard, even though she doubted she could take the woman down. Aldera's customs office had made sure tourists had come unarmed. She was defenseless. Cybernetic enhanced eyes scanned the sabers as they were laid to rest on the grass. Then the woman took a drink before tossing it to her. Her hands shot up to grab it out of the air. For a moment she stared at it. Was it worth the risk? Sighing she took a small sip. Just enough to taste.

Her throat felt like it was burning, and she coughed, trying to not let the liquid fly back out of her mouth as her arm covered it. It tasted horrible. You've never had whiskey before, have you? The AI was bemused. Frowning, she looked back to [member="Alexandra Feanor"].

"I wouldn't call the old man an admirer." Almost as if on queue, the AI responded.

I admired the audacity it took to try and assassinate me in my own city. With a rocket, no less. She sighed. This would have been a lot easier to do without the commentary.

"Strask Ak'lya is dead."

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

She smiled a bit more as the girl coughed and her eyes watched her without worry, hands shifting in her lap as she waited for the words that were bound to follow. At first she pricked Alex's interest hearing something about an old man, knowing that there are very few people she knew that would qualify as such and not be an admirer, then the name. Her smile wavered but she did not become violent, and instead seemed to further drop her shoulders, this time with a tinge of sadness or disappointment. She had indeed met the man mentioned, he had tried to her kill her and she in return had attempted to cause that man's own death, knowing that there was little she could do to make up for her actions. Now he was gone though and that repayment for her actions will never come to pass, making her curse his dying.

The girl was just here to deliver the news, she did not deserve the sadness or anger Alex was feeling for failing to fix the past. With a sigh escaping her the woman tried to smile again and looked up at Natasha.

"Shame to hear about his death, the man was someone who altered my life long ago... Hell, so long so that he missed my own death it would appear." With the end of her sentence the illusion she maintained dropped, her features shifting to match the new body, her hair returning to its natural ebony color and the new appendage showed at her waist, wrapping itself around her to stay out of the way. The smile barely remained as she sat there thinking, trying to figure out what to say.

"How did he know you if you do not mind my curiosity? I never figured the man for a caretaker, even in his and my later years. I met him when I was about your age as it was, well, about your age the first time. That was a decade and a half back though so I can't say I know what happened during the time between then and now."


[member="Natasha Darkstar"]

 

[Ak'lya]

Natasha's eyes widened as the woman's form changed. "Your... Death?" the thought seemed to shock her almost as much as the woman's new vulpine form. "If you died, how are you here?"

She's a Force user. They do that sometimes. She shook her head. "Okay, then." It was clear she was uncomfortable with the situation, but she saw no where else to pursue it.

"As for my relationship to the old man, he was... my mentor, I guess." How open should she be with this woman? Part of her wanted to be honest. See if her past came as a shock. But it felt vulnerable. Dangerous. yelling was a risk that gave others things to use against you. She was here under a false name, for heaven's sake! She couldn't be honest. That went against everything she had learned.

But this wasn't work. Maybe she could, just this once.

"I was born a slave to a Hutt. He sold me at auction. An old Bothan bought me at some stupid high price. I figured I'd spend my life cleaning a house and looking nice to guests." She paused, taking a deep breath, then letting it out slowly. Her nerves were acting up. "Still, I guess it could have been worse. Some of the other slaves were bought by a Force user of some kind. Dark and scary looking. Never knew what happened to them." Giving a small shake of her head, she continued. "But my luck surprised even me. The old Bothan freed me, even going so far as to make me a citizen of the then-failing republic. He told me I had the choice of working anywhere, doing anything I wanted to."

"And then he offered me a job." She shook her head. "He needed someone loyal, so he freed a slave so they owed him an unpayable debt. Loyalty that's not bought is very valuable in his line of work." There was a pause as she collected her thoughts studying the woman's form. It looked...familiar, but she couldn't place it.She'd seen the species before. Whether the A.I. had recognized it, he wasn't sharing.

"He was a good mentor, all things considered. I learned a lot. But he was cold. He had his family, and I wasn't part of it. Even in the end, I was his assistant, and Barkt was his son. Even though the latter man wanted nothing to do with his parent." a hint of jealousy crept into her voice. She was an asset to him, nothing more. He saw her as a tool.

Nat, I didn't think... She ignored the AI as it continued, the voice in her mind altogether too familiar. She knew this tone. He was sorry, but not enough to change. "He died in bed, his son barely willing to look at him, and his daughter not even willing to show up. For a man with such vast contacts, he had few friends. Not to mention that he officially was killed by a rogue terrorist bombing his apartment so long ago. Anyone who would have mourned his passing would have already believed him dead for decades."

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Natasha Darkstar"]

Alexandra paused and thought on what was being said to her before smiling to the woman and offering a rather simple response. She was not one to dwell in the past anymore, she had done enough of that in her first life and it had done nothing but cause her pain and worry.

"Strask was a unique one, and I did enjoy our back and forth even if it had cost lives I wish I could bring back. Men like him have very few people that they show... care for. But even with that said, I can promise you he was likely not as cold as you might think. I could be wrong, he could be cold but the man had allowed me to leave with my freedom and my life more than once, even when I had come back to try and kill him. But, what do I know, I'm the one that died already and am now in this body of all things.

She reached up and grabbed some of her hair, pulling it infront of her eyes as she inspected the dark strands, sliding her hand down and letting the illusion return slowly as the tail disappeared and her hair returned to the silver color that she was known for.

"As for your life story, I thank you. I don't normally get to hear about the lives of those I meet, and how they experienced childhood. It is something I enjoy and like history something that I can record up here." Her hand tapped at her head and she began walking to the north, waving for the woman to follow her. "I have some work to tend to, if you would not mind coming with me, I would enjoy hearing more about yourself."

 

[Ak'lya]

We should go. There was disapproval in the AI's voice, and whatever shock at her story had stirred in the AI had passed. The unflinching spymaster was back, and he didn't want to do this for much longer. You've said enough already.

"He taught himself to not care. It's part of the job. But in the end, I think he simply didn't know where the act ended." She shook her head. "I'm surprised he let anyone walk away after trying to kill him." The cold tone that had characterized Strask's bitter nature lay just under her words. "It wasn't in his nature to be kind."

Natasha. We're done here. Some days she wished she could talk back to him without speaking aloud. But that would mean he could see her thoughts. And there was no way she would give him that power. Forcing a smile, she watched the woman transform before her eyes. Force users. Go figure.

"I've been through enough to last a lifetime, but there's still work to be done, and I can't afford to retire yet." Her smile warmed, more genuine now. Her guard was slipping, but she didn't care. She wanted to be herself, not the spy she always was. "I don't know where to start."

[member="Alexandra Feanor"]

 

[Alexandra Feanor]

[member="Natasha Darkstar"]

Alexandra laughed when she heard the words that finished off the girls thoughts and instead of walking away turned ti give the girl a grin. She didn't quite speak yet, choosing rather to lean on her staff and hunch over her back like an old woman. With a somewhat mocking voice she spoke to the woman in a purposely older toned voice, one that she should have if she was still in her old body considering her age.

"You kids and your talking about Retirement. I swear when I was your age we went out and kicked the ass of Sith, Jedi and Mandalorians alike. Oh and shot missiles at buildings." She smiled and took a step forward, attempting to tap Natasha on her head with the staff in Alexandra's hand.

"You worry too much and need to relax. You should also probably be a bit more careful about who you talk to about this stuff. I mean, I talk to myself and to the voices in my head but hey, im insane. You should probably build a robot buddy to talk to. I find a robot generally cant give you lip if you do something wrong or be a pain in the ass. As for where to start, you should probably start by avoiding Missiles and not taking jobs where you ambush poor women as they are walking home. Those kind of people are just terrible." The smile she wore remained as she turned and stretched, bringing the staff up and resting it over her shoulders as both hands hung over it.

"So, that leaves one question as far as I am concerned. How much am I getting paid for the therapy session?"