vengence

corvus shrugged a shoulder at her latter question, eyes drifting from merrin to the people passing by. ❝ information is always useful. coruscant is large. though we’re seemingly trapped in here, it’s still broad and there’s no way for me to keep on top of everything. so if you see something…  or someone who’s doing things that are rather secretive, i’d want to know. ❞ maybe corvus could operate alone or with lor to act accordingly and see what changes are made. 

merrin considered her request for a moment. it was certainly something she was able to handle, she had no doubt about that. ...and if it could help cal? she’d be more than willing, considering she wasn’t able to help him herself. “i could do that,” it seemed a fair trade off. She tilted her head some, “by, secretive, i assume these rebels you were speaking of?” 

“precisely.” there were crueler things that they could have said, but saw no current need. her gaze is unwavering as merrin seemed to change her tune, the curve of her lips cruel. “you must not know cal very well, then. a pity.” she paused. “for all of his strengths… cal is just hopeful enough to be a fool.”

merrin looked away at her comment. she... didn’t need to be reminded of this. it was in the past. she kept her attention away, listening to her, a brief chuckle at her comment. this was... not going to work. any attempt at gaining her help was fruitless. clearly. “ a pity, that you can’t see how his hope is beneficial. unlike this... deniability you seem to have.”

corvus truly didn’t need much in return. in fact, corvus didn’t even know what to ask of the girl. she was in a situation that she didn’t quite like, but corvus knew that there was nothing that merrin could do to help. so cor simply shrugged after a moment’s thought. ❝ you ever been an informant? ❞ the knight questioned, wondering how well merrin was with lending in… that green glow gave her away, but she could turn that off. 

an eyebrow raised at the questioned. she could observe undetected, at the very least. that was something she had become accustomed too easily, “no. but, i think i require what you would need for that,” her head tilted some, “ and informant? what would you need with that?” she asked, curious. it seemed the girl was capable on her own. but if this could help cal..

       she nodded, understanding the sentiment. the city was different. it was a place that she would not prefer over her home planet, but there wasn’t much to do about it now. it seemed that they wouldn’t have the luxury of returning home unless they completed their tasks… “more curious than i should be i suppose,” she admitted, “i’m argo. a, uhh…” she gestured to her uniform, “and yourself?” 

merrin has always been so direct and uncomplicated in her approach to life, ever since he’d met her, even when they hadn’t been on the same side. she’d never been snide or conniving with him, simply angry at the pitfalls of his order, the misunderstanding of who was responsible for her sisters’ deaths– something he couldn’t truly fault her for, looking back on it. she’s grown exponentially, even in the small time he’s known her, seeing her branch so far out from her comfort zone on dathomir. he wonders if she’s noticed it in herself, if she’s as impressed with herself as he is in her. he wishes he felt that same sort of expansion, that same flourishing, but at the moment, all he feels is pain and blockage and frustration.

and fear. worry.

hearing that she trusts him, even when he can’t trust himself, puts a lump in his stomach heavy as a boulder, and he shakes his head, but his throat is so tight, he’s not sure what to say to that, how to contradict it. she shouldn’t trust him, even if he so desperately wants her to, but just looking into her eyes as she speaks, he already knows there won’t be any talking her out of it now. “i’ll do my best to withstand it,” he shrugs, good naturedly, hoping it’s enough.

but when she contradicts him again, the frustration only grows. “no, you have to hide, it’s important that they don’t find you too. they keep holding it over my head, the people i have to lose, the people who are important to me that they can get to. merrin, that includes you. so i need you to get to safety, to make sure you stay away from these people, so that i’m not worried about you.” he glances out the force-field doorway once again, paranoia creeping through his bones. “i don’t know what other kind of tech they could have that could damage you, if they knew your abilities.” if they have even the slightest bit more understanding of her race than cal does, since he has barely any, to be honest. but he knows the pain of watching someone he cares about get hurt because of him– he has trilla to thank for that.

but he doesn’t fight her when she unshackles him and helps him stand up, only groaning a bit and wobbling on his feet, which suddenly feel more like jelly than muscles and skeleton. he winces, wishing he didn’t look so weak. he continues examining the device in his wrist, frowning at it and hoping it won’t react negatively to merrin’s magic. “okay, if you think you can try to get me out, i would appreciate it. no harm in trying, right?” kriff, he hopes there’s no harm in trying– he hopes this won’t be painful.

he’s not exactly sure if physical contact is necessary for her working to be effective, but he reaches out for her hand anyway. “i’m ready.”

she feared what was happening with him, she worried at this amount of... hopelessness. pessimism, perhaps. it was... disconcerting. but it made sense, in a way. cal was complex, the way he saw the galaxy was something even she couldn’t comprehend, and now with his understanding corrupted by this time shift and imprisonment? she understood. but that only made her more desperate to free him. 

merrin wasn’t sure when the last time she had felt this kind of desperation was. 

the mood shifted. he didn’t... he was sure unsure of himself. it didn’t make sense-- she had seen him fight, watched him face trials on dathomir. he didn’t see his strength, doubted it. merrin wasn’t sure how to handle that, how to convince him this was nothing he hadn’t faced before. a small smile stretched on her lips, an attempt at something reassuring, and she nodded carefully at his response. it was a start, “i know you will, cal kestis.” 

the nightsister had already decided she wasn’t leaving, despite cal’s wishes. she respected him but... this was foolish. foolish to act as some sort of marauder. “and you’re important to me. which is why i’m not leaving, “ she stated simply, unconcerned with the possibility of her own capture. she was confident she could escape if need be. no, her concern was more with what would happen to cal if her presence was discovered, she didn’t want him harmed on her mistake. “it’s already decided. you can’t change my mind.” 

merrin however was concerned with how... unstable he was. it was more than she expected. an arm moved under his to steady him, hoping that he was strong enough to hold at least some of his weight. her eyes flicked over to the device on his wrist, swallowing some. surely i wasn’t that powerful. nodding some, she locked her fingers with his, a reassurance, more than anything, closing her eyes to try and transport them away, eyes widening in-- pain. 

             she kept her grip on cal but he had been right, whatever that was blocking her as well, sending a shock through her, and now doubt him as well. stumbling, she breathed heavily -- “how-- how can they do that?” 

rix has heard of dathomir plenty, but only from his former master. as a source of potential apprentices. it’s where his predecessor had come from, he knew that much. and he’d heard of the nightsisters of course, on the course of his own research. but beyond that, rix didn’t know much of it himself. “not every trip needs to be filled with such sparkling conversation, though. perhaps you can give me a tour, help me understand the history there.” though, that may never come to be, assuming they’re trapped on coruscant for the time being. “are you glad you left the planet, then?”

letting out a laugh, rix nods his head. “it’s grown older, darker. but the… soul of the planet, what it has been used for, that does not seem to have changed, from what I can feel.” and oh, he remembers more than enough to compare it too. time spent with sidious is not easily forgotten, after all. “have you travelled much beyond your home?”

“if you wish to see tombs and large, deadly, creatures, than i suppose yes, it could be worth your time,” she hummed some. there was more than that, obviously. there especially had been before... everything. he wouldn’t understand. most didn’t. what people knew about dathomir was barely scratching the surface. “glad isn’t the word,” she state simply, “i value what i experienced off planet, nonetheless.” 

it’s hard to really peace together exactly what she could be referring to. as far as jacen’s concerned, things are right as they should be in his life. he’s right where he wants to be, besides being stuck on coruscant. “there’s nothing to talk.. about. i think you might just be reading things incorrectly.” jacen suggests, shaking his head. “i - no? not really. i guess i was.. more curious about you. it feels like all we’ve done is talk about me since we’ve met.” pausing, jacen’s expression softens as he watches her. he’s not lying - as much as he’s keen to shift the attention of this conversation elsewhere, he is curious about how she’s doing. “how are you doing with things here?”

she’s probably not wrong. going to dathomir would be the easiest way to get a sense of the nightsisters, of the life they’ve lived. it would be curious, really, to see such history. but alas… “unfortunately we’re all trapped in this giant city, or i would have likely done so.” he reminders her with a shrug of his shoulders. some day, perhaps. assuming his life isn’t somehow tied to this situation, that is. “perhaps you can tell me about it? your home?” rix can sense her unease, that she’s not quite comfortable with him yet. perhaps this will help.

raising an eyebrow, rix pauses for a moment, reaching out through the force with his senses. as someone who spent a good portion of his life on coruscant in hiding, doing his master’s bidding from the shadows, he’s quite used to the buzz of the city. but for one not so accustomed to it.. he can appreciate her words. “it’s always been as such. loud and unruly and - chaotic.” he says quietly. “even through so many years, somehow the city has not changed as much as it should have.”

merrin scoffed at his response, “it’s terrible. i don’t recommend going. it’s me, and the night brothers, and they don’t strike up much conversation,” she mumbled quietly. that was something she didn’t miss. the constant... loneliness. at least.. in general. there were times, of course that this became overwhelming. she let out a breath, glancing back out. this was just so knew. 

jacen has no clue where this could possibly be coming from. he’s gathered that merrin has some kind of force sensitivity, and he’s heard enough stories about nightsisters and how they used the force, but he just.. doesn’t know enough about them, or the force, to really understand how that might be leading merrin to this conclusion. “conflict.” he repeats, tilting his head to the side a little. “i honestly have no idea what you’re talking about. i’m.. pretty good with my life right now.”

       “slightly,” she responded with that similar smile. “though i am not from here either, so i cannot get on your back for such a thing.” mandalore was different, but coruscant was becoming more and more familiar to argo. it was convenient, though she did miss home at time. being expected to fight in a war that was not hers was troubling. “but i am more familiar than i was before. were you lost?”

“not lost. i’m just... taking everything in i suppose,” she said simply, sighing some, “ not sure i like it. i wouldn’t come back,” she commented, shrugging. “who are you?” she asked, head tilting, “you seem like you’re curious then.” 

the question was… naive. perhaps she shouldn’t have been surprised, but they didn’t know much about the other. “who has ever tried to recruit you?” it had never ended for trailla. there was always a side, always a war that someone wanted her to fight for them.

“no one. i’ve only been used,” she stated simply, eyebrow raising. she sighed, shaking her head, “this is useless. i don’t understand what cal see’s in you. what good.” 

was this little child offering a business proposition? corvus couldn’t help but grin, but she was still intrigued at the idea. they could help each other. ❝ could we? ❞ cor asked, brow raised in question. this boy she talked about didn’t sound familiar, but then again, many were locked up in the cells. he could’ve been anyone. ❝ and what were you thinking then? ❞

the grin just made merrin grimace. she didn’t like that look. she didn’t want to feel used and... she could tell this is what that would become if she wasn’t careful. “perhaps,” she replies, arms crossing, considering the woman for a moment. she didn’t know... what she could do. but she was sure she could do something useful. “what did you need done?” 

at the very least, she’s not shutting him out or disappearing. both of which he’s sure would be easy for her to do. and until she does so, rix has a chance to make the most of this conversation. “to understand a woman who has seen the galaxy from a view so unique. how else could i possibly learn new outlooks?” he asks with an air of curiosity. and it’s not a lie. the more people he meets and works with, the broader his understanding. the more likely he is to succeed.

he can’t help but nod his head at her words. “that’s true. i can’t blame you for seeking a.. bit of peace, in the midst of a planet in this state.”

merrin could leave if she wanted to. even if he was more powerful than her, she had no doubt she could escape easily. nut she was... intrigued by the man. there was still a sense of... she felt like she was being observed. it wasn’t something-- she didn’t like it. “go to dathomir. you’ll understand very quickly,” she retorted quickly, turning back towards him, an eyebrow lifting some, as if... challenging him to say something. she didn’t know, not really. 

she wasn’t used to dealing with this many beings. 

ask meme starter for @mxrrin - “I want to know why you run away.”

the statement is a surprise to say the least, and jacen knows it shows on his face the moment she says it. he and merrin hardly know each other. the nightsister doesn’t even know his name, only knowing him as dume. what could possibly make her think he’s running away?

“i don’t.” he answers simply, shaking his head. “when have you ever seen me run away from anything? you’ve only met me once before.”

unexpected things can and did happen. iden being alive and young when she should have been old, the things that she had heard… all of it was unexpected. if she went looking for familiarity, she wouldn’t find it. “maybe. it’s not like anything lately has actually been predictable.”

she let out a breath at her comment, laughing quietly, “well that’s certainly true. i take it you were brought here to?” she asked, moving to sit by her, glancing up at the sky briefly before glancing back over, “it’s... jarring. all of this.” 

@mxrrin​ said: ❛ Life is about more than just surviving. ❜

maybe that was iden was really doing deep down, staying loyal to the first order as she had done with the empire thirty years ago –– it was the safer option, the easier option. more powerful than the rebellion or the resistance, still with the hope that it would be the right thing. she wasn’t sure. it was hard to be certain about anything. “it’s supposed to be,” she agreed with a nod of her head. “but it doesn’t always seem to work out that way.”

she watched the older woman for a moment, tilting her head some. she understood, truly. that was... merrin’s life, in a way. survival, and revenge-- but, she was learning that didn’t have to be it. not really. she sighed some, “it... maybe it will. unexpected things can happen.” 

she’s defensive, he can tell. rix can feel it, not just from her words but in her. and can he blame her? the nightsisters have had a terrible history, feared and hunted and misunderstood through their entire existence. rix.. can appreciate her view, what would make her feel this way about a stranger. “i’m not here to observe, my dear. i’m here to understand. the people over there -” he gestures back towards the city, “for the most part, they are all the same. the same lives, the same thoughts, the same intentions. it’s rare to meet someone so far.. removed, from such a hivemind-like way of thinking.”

letting out a soft laugh, rix nods his head. “coruscant has always been as such. one giant city.. not much time for peace.” he agrees, tilting his head to the side. “so much chaos in the one place, don’t you think?”

she could tell he was reading her. but it didn’t seem.. negative. which was something new for her. her body language was still tense-- years of solitude.. she was generally on guard. she tilted her head some at his comment. it was.. interesting to hear that, “understand? what could you wish to understand?”  she let out a breath, relaxing some, at least... visually, “it’s terrible. the planet is-- broken,” she mumbled.