never fade away.

He had a sense for all the EYES and CAMERAS that were drawing closer and closer to his direction. Could have been programming, could have been experience, but either way, he needed no prompting to start to slip back and blend toward the nearest crowd, a discreet retreat from the limelight as good as any GHOST.

VICTORY?

It made him want to spit in protest, if he were capable. And again at the word represent. All she represented was the emperor's disgusting overreach. But at the soft static from his comms, Revenant made another discreet reposition, easy to do while all eyes were on the pair of women. A small ways off between groups, as if he had only wanted more space and a better view - where he wouldn't stand out but also wouldn't be overheard.

the onlookers ate every word up like they were starving swine, delicately applauding at whatever last words were spoken before kylantha encouraged everyone to convene to the dining area where they would be treated to naboo delicacies, dancing and live music. the senator gently took the queen in her arm to begin guiding her away and the queen put up no fight.

arsinoé's head didn't turn, but her dark gaze did sweep to her left then to her right as she was being swept away. she had lost revenant in the crowd.

snow's gruff sigh was heard through their comms. ❝ you're smellin' what i'm smellin'... right? ❞ the sound of the band beginning to blare their first song could be heard from the next room along with more cheers as kylantha waved at every guest as they were lead to the main table.

❝ typho arrested. the organas being disinvited from the party. reba and general arryne missing... her, ❞ his words suggested that he was somewhere in the room, looking right at naboo's newest senator. ❝ can't be a coincidence. ❞

Watching her eyes, his fingers twitched for a different reason, the urge to reach for her. "Sym—" Not even sure just what he wanted to say before they were interrupted.

His head turned. Further little turns in the angle of his dark mask showed Revenant's looking between groups of MEAT, studying their reactions. The cheering and applause around them so at odds with the mood of the conversation between the two of them. Everything about it made his processors stutter to keep his temper down.

He watched the stranger's entrance, but more than her, continued watching the reactions of others in the hall. And caught enough of what Symphony had said to gaze down at her again; the melancholy sifting behind her eyes like the ripple of a current in a calm sea made him ache.

the woman smiled and humbly nodded, giving half-bows and the occasional hug and kiss to politicians and celebrities she would recognize within the crowd that greeted her. she looked absolutely radiant, her smile so broad and pearly white, she already reminded arsinoé of other natural born leaders.

the crowd created a natural path directly to the queen herself, so it was only a few moments later where naboo's newest senator now stood before it's sitting matriarch. there was a gentle touch on revenant's arm, and if he looked down for it's source, he'd find kaisa wordlessly suggesting that he stepped back——anticipating attention revenant wouldn't otherwise want on himself. and like clockwork, flashes of lights snapped as droids took photos of the senator and the queen's first public interaction that would no doubt be plastered on every news station come morning.

the woman's eyes GLEAMED when she laid them on the queen, the jewels she wore and the halo that crowned her head. they sparkled as if she had just stumbled onto a mirror that showed a her glimpse into her future.

❝ senator kylantha, ❞ the queen extends her ringed hand for the woman to kiss. ❝ i congratulate you on your victory. naboo welcomes you with open arms. ❞

kylantha bows deeply, and cameras flash like lightning the second her lips meet the queen's rings, people gathering around to watch the historic exchange. ❝ my queen, ❞ the senator greets before standing to her full height and squeezing both of her hands tightly, as if they were sisters. it took everything in arsinoé to stamp out the HURT expression that threatened to crease her porcelain white make up. padmé used to hold her hands the exact same way. ❝ i am honored to represent the people of naboo and am ecstatic to be standing with you tonight as we discuss the interest and future of our people. ❞

some more clearly scripted and practiced words were traded, but a buzzing in revenant's comms would distract him from hearing them.

The emperor wasn't aware. He hadn't thought of that. On one hand, he liked that degree of separation, that even the emperor was in the dark about the queen's identity and family. On the other hand, he obviously favored her, so why not use that to her ADVANTAGE?

But Revenant also recognized that kind of blatant nepotism was probably something Symphony frowned on.

But what she said next surprised him. He was stunned SILENT for some moments while she mimed a regard for his robes. "... Why?" Finally mustered, softer than intended. But then SEETHING, still under his breath, "This whole thing... stinks," the simulacrum's claws twitching as he refrained from closing them into fists, "but he wanted to keep you where you are. Why do that and then drop your planet's public opinion like it's old hat?"

It disgusted him the emperor even had that kind of power over what should have been Naboo's authority and Naboo's system of government. The overreach didn't exactly surprise him - or at least it wouldn't have for any other planet - but here, over Symphony, it did, when he had thought half the point of keeping her in place was that they were friends.

there was a time in symphony's life where she would watch the way revenant's claws would flex or tighten into fists, or listen to the way his tone would seethe and roar, and wonder to herself how he could live his life carrying such FIERY RAGE within him for so long. how long could he carry it until he burst into flames?

it was the same question she was starting to ask herself now. she got a taste of what rage, true rage, tasted like on her tongue that very morning.

she looked at him like his question offended her, before a subtle shimmer of HELPLESSNESS glossed over her eyes. it was eerie the way her facial muscles were able to remain neutral while her eyes SCREAMED and begged, like a dying bug desperately and frantically seeking escape from the inside of a glass jar.

he wasn't asking the right questions. or, more accurately, he wasn't asking them to the right person. how long would it for him to realize that the emperor's leash on her was bound so TIGHTLY that she was too afraid to SPEAK?

her lips part only to be interrupted once again, only this time it was an interruption that was impossible to ignore. half the lobby seemed to erupt into cheers and applause, more and more people slowly joining the choir as attention was drawn to the same entrance she had entered from just minutes ago. the cheering carried an excitement and energy that the literal QUEEN'S own entrance lacked, so it went without saying that the imps around them were ecstatic to welcome whoever had just entered. even with heels, the queen struggled to see over most heads, but she didn't need to see WHO had elicited such a response to know who it was.

the crowd parted for naboo's newly selected senator much like they did for queen arsinoé. she was striking woman to look at. she was older, stood taller, and was conventionally more beautiful than symphony considered herself to be. her painted red lips were split into a humble smile, the color popping against her fair skin and black gown. her dark brown hair was styled in an updo that made her appear that much more taller and almost REGAL.

The light in her eyes made him want to kiss her.

The quiet of her voice made him want to STEAL HER. Get them both out of here - even if only just to a secluded hall. But she was queen here, and there would be no avoiding or diverting the limelight. He could feel the eyes on them; every wire and circuit tempted by shadow at the irksome sensation.

He was used to staring, but the eyes here weren't just ignorant fans or paparazzi. They wanted to pick him apart like meat off a carcass, identify the bones for their own purposes, social or otherwise.

The whole place stank of GREED.

Revenant listened close. Watching the handmaidens, and the distance between them and any surrounding parties, vigilant from his featureless dark. "Why wasn't your father of his choosing?" He snapped, hushed. "If the emperor wants to look out for you, and keep Naboo's favor, your father should be his first choice."

she looked like she was zeroing in all her energy and focus on reigning and CONTROLLING every muscle on her face not to contort or so much as TWITCH. but her dark irises do look away in a way that was reminiscent of how she would normally roll her eyes, to an outsider appearing like she was simply observing the crowd around them. she wanted to sigh heavily but she kept that weakness trapped within her lungs for now.

❝ sunil is symphony's father, not mine, ❞ she reminds him, knowing it was sometimes easy to forget the way their government and monarchy operated on anonymity. ❝ the emperor isn't aware of my relation to my advisor and i would like to keep it that way. ❞

she was briefly distracted by the roaring of laughter coming from a small group huddled by in ice sculpture in the far corner, recognizing of few coruscanti celebrities in the mix as well as some imperial officers before her attention was brought back to revenant, mainly the material of the scarf draped around his arms.

❝ i don't think my relation to him would have mattered much to the emperor anyway. he doesn't need the favor of a planet that he outright OWNS at this point, ❞ she lifts up his scarf to inspect, the corners of her lips tilting up in a way that felt performative, as if to make it seem like they were simply having a bland conversation about their attires.

A scoff. He was thoroughly sick of the number of stormtroopers seen in this part of the galaxy. And it wouldn't be hard for him to prove how WOEFULLY insufficient they were... But not tonight. Emerging into the dining hall, he stood at the sidelines for a long look around.

Besides the military garb, it was... jarring how much it reminded him of the types of events he attended in his former life. Filled with the various echelons of Syndicate society, some dressed to put themselves or their wealth on display, others there to harvest social standing, connections, information. Some only attending for food and fun as their position allowed them.

If he'd had skin, it would have been CRAWLING. Politicians, military, corporate scum and the wealthy elite and those connected to them... all his favorite meat to gut.

He recognized Tarkin without the aid of facial recognition tech. Made no effort to hide how his gaze fixed on him like a rifle until he'd moved off - so it was perhaps fortunate the simulacrum's current lack of optics at least made it less obvious.

Revenant had been here scarcely 15 minutes and already felt certain he wouldn't last the night.

He drew to Symphony like a bird to a sheltered perch in a storm. Centered his focus making a slow, proper bow in greeting. Stood a fraction CLOSER than was strictly formal, and lingered a little long when he raised the back of her hand for a kiss with the smooth, dark metal where a mouth would be. His wiring warmed, possessive, at her painted face - though the statement it made also made him ache.

revenant's height was usually the first thing she would catch and recognize in a sea of people, but the crowd was so dense and the lights and opulence of the decorations and attires so overstimulating that arsinoé hadn't even glimpsed his way until KAISA stepped in between her and his approach.

the shadow was the first to recognize him, though it obviously came a fraction late as she wordlessly stepped to the side again once she was able to confirm that he was NO THREAT to her queen. even looking upon him after kaisa had stepped aside, it was visible in arsinoé's eyes when the recognition finally sunk in. all the jewels that decorated the queen's headdress and gown, and yet none of them came near twinkling as brightly as her EYES did whenever they landed upon him after so long. everything about her was expressionless but her eyes could never lie to him. whatever rage amaya and sipha were left so shaken by seemed to dissipate once her sanctuary was just within reach.

their conversation would flanked by a single handmaiden at each of their sides so they would be guaranteed to be left alone for now. she wanted so badly to SQUEEZE his hand when he took hers as gently as he did. and it was only when he brought her hand to his face that she realized he held no optics for to look at. at first she blamed the somewhat dark and moody lighting of the opera house, but upon closer inspection, she realized there was truly nothing there looking back.

❝ rev... ❞ she couldn't help the slip, sounding RELIEVED if he could even pick up the softness of her voice over the chatter of the party and the live band playing from the other room.

normally she would forgo her hearing aid for such a large and crowded event, but she had the sense that she would be NEEDING it now for this operation they were trying to pull off. and normally the first words out of her mouth would be how HANDSOME she found revenant's attire to be. but worry subtly etched her features.

Already...?

But the sound of armor turned all their attention. Amaya was sent as a distraction - and it sounded like she was an EFFECTIVE one. Gazing down again for Sipha, he wanted to hear exactly what had happened, but he knew now wasn't the time.

Sipha looked as if she'd had the same thought: that she couldn't give him what he wanted at that moment.

However, processors stirred faster, irritation kindling through his system, as the handmaiden explained about the change in security. "A senator was killed," Revenant began, the sharp edges in his hushed voice not directed at her but at the EMPIRE, "and the queen's personal guard wasn't allowed in?" WHAT THE HELL kind of logistics had allowed for that? The kind he wanted to wrap his steel hand around and squeeze.

sipha slow blinked, trying not to take his harsh tone to heart. somehow it was less terrifying than the hell queen arsinoé had raised earlier that morning.

❝ haven't you heard? the jedi are dead. the galaxy is now safe and at peace, ❞ she repeats their narrative softly and bitterly. the woman emits a quiet but shaky exhale, knowing she was already speaking out of place. ❝ i suppose the number of stormtroopers stationed at this event is deemed sufficient enough security to keep the queen protected. ❞

the back of house was beginning to fill with the aroma of hot food, fighting to overpower the smell of the briny aquatic tang of the tanks they were hidden behind. that was their cue to split up as the opera house's banquet hall was getting ready to start seating it's guests.

❝ we will, ❞ she nods. ❝ watch over our queen for now. ❞

the actual dining floor was starting to fill up with different suits, but it was almost easy to differentiate between one and the others. the imperial officers came in either white or black attire with colorful medals, in either red or blue, decorating their breast pockets in display of their ranks. they mostly crowded one another, segregating themselves from the other party goers as if they believed themselves superior than the rest. there were politicians that wore modest robes and garments, but what really drew the attention of paparazzi droids and other guests alike were the celebrities and the ultra elite that came in designer gowns, suits and robes. they seemed to laugh the loudest and looked the happiest to be in attendance.

the entire air smelled of cigar smoke and alcohol, both of the drinking variety and the kind that came with the expensive cologne and perfume that clung to the skin of every guest.

revenant would only need to linger a handful of minutes before the crowd began to gather near the entrance for the queen's arrival, both imperial and the elite alike bowing and curtseying as she parted the crowd like the sea. one man didn't, however, as governor tarkin awaited her at the end of the hall to greet her and trade pleasantries. the thick crowd around them seemed to resume as they briefly chatted before the governor excused himself.

Quite the feat, he thought, to sneak anywhere dressed LIKE THIS.

Cream-colored robes had been wrapped and folded to allow him ease of movement, but there was obviously no helping their color or gilded detailing - or the shining gold of the rest of him, cast in metal but in shapes that were as much skeletal as geometric.

In combination with the robes, the deep hood, the featureless face, he looked almost GHOSTLY. But as always, there was an unmistakable elegance in his design and garments.

It was only in approaching the handmaidens that he began to slip open the long sleeves and slit skirt of the robe, transformed like the unfurling wings of a freshly molted insect. He FROZE almost the same as they did upon laying eyes on each other - seeing the girls out of uniform, and in real servant's garb of all things, was... jarring.

There was no glow of his gaze to go by. No visible optics at all. Just little turns of his head.

it was obvious that they had only just noticed one unique feature of this skin's upon stepping closer. at first it seemed like the combination of his hood and the poor lighting of the backrooms made it so that his eyes were completely enshrouded. they realized belatedly that his face was just DEVOID of any eyes. a chill ran down sipha's spine while amaya was more amazed than disturbed.

❝ i hope so too, ❞ amaya grumbles. ❝ she's already—— ❞

❝ amaya! ❞ sipha hisses, shooting daggers at the younger handmaiden. amaya's face immediately scrunched up like she was close to bursting into tearing before facing away and crossing her little arms aggressively. none of them really had a chance to say much else when the sound of cheap armor shifting and stomping could be heard approaching. ❝ go deal with them, please... ❞

the girl begrudgingly agrees, looking none too happy as she stomped away in the direction of where the stormtroopers were coming from. she disappeared from view, but the two would be able to hear her tears and sobs as she channeled her emotions into her new role and made her frustrations the EMPIRE'S problem now.

❝ i'm sorry about... her. her majesty isn't having an easy day and lost her temper with all of us, and amaya took it more personally than the rest of us, ❞ sipha explained with a tired sigh, briefly going quiet only to make sure that amaya really had lured the guards away during their private conversation. she wrung her hands nervously as she looked back at revenant; she rarely interacted with him one on one so it was a little nerve wracking being left alone with him.

❝ i know reba was supposed to meet you here, but everything's a mess right now. some changes were made against our wishes, ❞ she says. ❝ there was a mix-up and captain typho and his men were barred from entering both the senate building and apparently here too, so reba's trying to get that sorted with the the coruscant guard. in the meantime she wanted me to give you this. ❞ she hands him a small comms device that was magnetic and small enough to be concealed. ❝ reba, snow and master dillian should be in channel two. you can find me and the other handmaidens in channel one. i haven't been able to get a hold of snow or master dillian so i suppose in the meantime you can just remain at her majesty's side once she arrives. ❞

DON'T—DON'T—DON'T—DON'T look at what's in front of you . BOOTS—BOOTS—BOOTS—BOOTS movin' up and down again MEN—MEN—MEN—MEN— men go MAD with watchin' em !

#𝐏𝐇𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐁𝐈𝐈𝐀 —— independent simon ❝ ghost ❞ riley of call of duty: modern warfare II (2022) & modern warfare III (2023) . private . low activity . written by bella ( she / her ) . CARRD .

TRIGGER WARNING: themes of war, war crimes, gun violence, mentions of terrorism and torture.

It was clear there was a lot more in here than just paintings, and he wondered about what all of it was as he looked around. Could have just as easily been used as normal STORAGE, he supposed. But Irmé's mention of her collection gave him the opportunity to ask - "This is all art?"

What was the point of having it all hidden away? Political and publicity reasons, in the case of Symphony's portraits, but for pieces that had been collected as a hobby, why keep them stashed out of sight?

By the time his father had been trying to teach him the workings of the art world, he had quit giving a damn. But even if he'd been listening, he wasn't sure he would have understood then, either.

The sim followed for the back of the space. His gaze swept over the labels, until Irmé navigated to the first piece she wanted to show him.

❝ no, not all of it, ❞ she answers. ❝ we also store family heirlooms in here, antiques, legal documents, memories. my wedding dresses are actually in that bin over there, ❞ she points to a steel box high up on a shelf at the far side of the wall.

❝ when me and sunil die, symphony will inherit everything within this vault. and after symphony passes, well... ❞ she pauses briefly, catching her train of thought. ❝ i suppose these will fall on whichever nieces or nephews had sucked up to you and sym the most, ❞ she chuckles.

symphony always had a face that was difficult to look away from, most especially whenever irmé was looking at pictures and portraits of her when she was young. it simultaneously filled her with so much pride as well as HEARTBREAK at how quickly she had grown up to be an exceptional woman.

❝ this felt like it was painted yesterday, ❞ she sighs wistfully. ❝ this artist had actually been painting us for over twenty years, he became a dear family friend. unfortunately he passed away a few years before arsinoé came into power. ❞

irmé then showed him a few of his other works, making sure to only include those that depicted symphony, should she accidentally bore him with the rest. ❝ this one is my most prized family portrait, his most ambitious work, ❞ she scans her thumb to open a much LARGER drawer where a near-life sized portrait lay beneath protective paper. seven women stood posed, all in various stages of their life. a younger symphony and irmé were depicted but she pointed to the others. ❝ this is my sister standing here with us. there's little katjaa over there, she was about fifteen when this was commissioned. ❞

she then points to two other women, who appeared to be the OLDEST of the women. ❝ this is symphony's grandmother from her father's side, as well as her great grandmother. she lived to see one hundred and ten summers. ❞ the great grandmother seemed to be the centerpiece of the entire frame, sitting in almost a throne like living chair while the other women surrounded her.

"Just tonight," he agreed. His line of work had taught him to value indulgence. Life was TOO SHORT.

So she had surprised him after all. "I used to like chardonnay." Light and dry, and it paired well with a lot of foods he had liked. He might like something red better now, if he had the option... Something with a much richer flavor that could stand on its own, something that could better saturate the senses.

a conservative hand reaches up to cover a holographic number pad near the blast door as she entered in a ten digit code. the door makes a smell, elated beep to imply she had input the code correctly before the door finally slides open.

the room was dimly lit for only a few seconds until some sort of motion detector kicked in after the two entered, afterwards the lighting greatly improved. inside were dozens of industrial storage shelves that housed several containers and cases of various sizes.

❝ now that our family's been blessed these last number of years, i've been working on slowly investing in my very own private art collection, ❞ she says as she briefly shows rev some of the smaller pieces of her collection she had archives thus far, such as jewelry, vases and ornaments. but she was mostly excited for the portraits so she went ahead and leads him to the very back of the vault where there were several steel flat filing cabinets, drawer labeled by year and the artist that had been commissioned.

❝ i'll show you some solo ones, back when symphony was still in the legislative youth program, ❞ she says as her thumb print is used to open up the first drawer, drawing away a piece of protective parchment paper to reveal a young symphony posed in a baby blue dress in front of a window sill, looking directly at the viewer. irmé's own breath was taken away, as if it was her first time seeing it.

Perhaps the invitation shouldn't have surprised him as much as it did. The idea anyone other than Symphony would INVITE HIM anywhere, least of all to stay the night in their home, was near inconceivable. Most of the Legends regarded him like a very large, metal pest at best: a creepy crawly they wouldn't want under their roof at night.

"... That's kind of you," REACHING into the depths of who he used to be for how to politely decline. "But I have a suite on my ship." It wasn't a lie. There was a suite on the ship - he just didn't plan on using it. Probably wouldn't sleep at all.

a long, disappointed sigh. ❝ i'm not supposed to with my new medication. it raises my blood pressure. but i might indulge just for tonight. ❞ as if their conversation hadn't achieved that already. she'd use the excuse of it being her birthday to drink but their conversation alone was reason enough to drink, she thought.

❝ if i do go that is. ❞ which she will.

❝ we tend to lean more red here in naboo, ❞ she says. naboo would be barren without the alcoholics that inhabited it, if the vineyards that stretched on for miles and miles didn't make that obvious. ❝ i'm no exception, though i have a soft spot for a sauvignon. ❞

irmé leads revenant back outside and for a moment it almost looked like she was going to show him the garden again, except this time he's lead to the side of the large estate.

He knew she might not care for that answer now, but maybe she would have some appreciation for it later. Let her sit with it for as long as she needed, and then gazed down for her, SURPRISED by her thanks.

But his glow sobered, and he looked away at the mention of children.

Eventually, they took a walk. Spent some of it in silence, and otherwise found other things to chat about: how Irmé had gotten started in her line of work, what she looked for in pieces of art. Revenant was more reserved discussing his own tastes; touching on what he liked meant touching on parts of himself he wasn't sure she would want to hear.

They had already endured through one heavy topic today. No need to risk another.

it seemed that they both found it necessary, maybe a little funny——if not a little pathetic——that they had to go about a SECOND house tour in order to recover from whatever had just happened.

the day felt very surreal to her but there was some unspoken agreement that they were just not going to speak of HIM again, an unspoken agreement that felt all too familiar, one she had already taken part in for over thirty years.

❝ where will you be staying? i can have my droid prepare you a guest bedroom, ❞ she offers. ❝ though i'm you had other plans in theed besides visiting me. ❞ she was sure that arsinoé must have also sent him here regarding business within the palace as most of her handmaidens and advisors remained here. she was no idiot; she knew rev was more than just a simple boyfriend that kept her company. no doubt the queen made use of his past skills as a mercenary, especially during turbulent times such as these. but it would be inappropriate of her, as a civilian, to ask.

Eventually was not the assurance he had wanted to hear.

But he left it alone. No point arguing for more. He watched her for a moment before looking out over the city. "You'd better leave me out of it," he advised quietly in regards to her husband. If Sunil already didn't like the idea, he would like it EVEN LESS knowing Revenant had been in on it. Better that it seemed to have come from Irmé's own motivations.

she was quiet for a long time, DEFEATED, as her hand lazily fanned her tears that dried as soon as they threatened to shed. what a terrible birthday this turned out to be. ❝ yeah, ❞ she agreed softly. she would be taking the brunt of both their ire and she would be made to stand alone.

❝ thank you. for telling me, ❞ she says. her heart at least felt somewhat healed knowing her son was somewhere out there in the world, ENDURING, even knowing she'll never get to meet or see him ever again. she prayed he'd never face the empire's blade, that he was faster than the monsters that sought after those like him.

It made sense that she would be the one to want to have that conversation with her daughter - but did she want to have it at all?

irmé looked at him with slight annoyance but knew she was in no position to say anything. not when she knew that question from a place of love and concern for her daughter. and he had a point. WILL SHE? would she lose the confidence once the time arrived to finally tell her?

❝ yes, ❞ she assures, with a pause. ❝ eventually. ❞

her droid returns, this time more carefully as it hands her a glass of water and a paper fan. she thanks it and gives herself a moment to sip of water and fan herself before continuing.

❝ sunil won't like it, ❞ she says, mostly to herself. he'll be furious in fact. this wouldn't be the first time they would argue about this, that's how she knew. and symphony... she had a feeling she wouldn't take it well, especially with all the stress she's being put under.

"Do you want me to?" He doubted it.

But it obviously didn't really matter. Symphony already knew - so it was only a matter of how much of this conversation he would relay to her.

the gardens were too much of a distance but thankfully the nearest balcony was just down the hall.

❝ no, ❞ she admits with a shaky chuckle, self aware enough to know just how AWFUL it made her sound. but the sigh that followed seemed like she believed she was an awful person as well. ❝ i just... i can't—— ❞

❝ is everything alright, ma'am? shall i bring you your medication? ❞ a protocol droid with a feminine voice waddled out frantically, most likely having sensed her master's elevated heartrate.

❝ no, i'm fine, E-4, i just need some water. and bring me my fan too, ❞ she orders, to which the droid immediately complies and waddles away just as frantically.