Ask Strange Fixations

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

The beat inside Hera's head​

Akiva was a wonderful little jungle world, Hera had been here only once before but already she liked the planet. The flora and fauna were as diverse and strange as any great forested or jungle world. However, in these tumultuous times, planets like these with so many native animals were becoming scarcer and scarcer. Walking through the capital city's streets and humming an upbeat tune, Hera couldn't help but listen to and admire the sounds of local fauna. However, despite its fantastic wildlife, the planet hosted something even more interesting to Hera Albion.

A massive droid factory as large as the whole capital city is the reason Hera Albion had come here. A massive droid factory that the capital city had actually been built on top of. Now, the planetary governor had negotiated with Hera Albion to restart the droid factory and begin making droids once more. A few conditions, however, had been named by the governor, and Hera had added a few conditions to their deal on her end as well.

In order for the planetary governor to allow the restoration and restarting of the old droid factory beneath the capital city of Myrra, Hera would have to do two things. One, provide the initial capital to restart the factory and begin selling droids. Having just come into a very sizeable amount of money, winning Huttball had that effect, this condition would be met with ease. Her investment would be paid back as well, once droids started selling. Secondly, Hera would have to access the old droid controls of the factory and confirm the area was safe.

Having previously found the location of the control center with another Padawan, all that was really left to do for Hera was to make sure everything was safe. A fairly simple task. In return, the governor had pledged the support of the world to the Jedi and a sizeable droid army to boot. This mission was something terribly simple and terribly safe.

So why had she brought Leon along?

Beside her, the young man walked. Hera, stopping her humming, looked him up and down as she moved. Then, she would attempt to make a little bit of small talk. "Do you think the Jedi should make peace with the Empire? Attempt to broker a cease-fire with the new Imperial Knights? They're different than the Sith before them, supposedly."

'Oh yeah' She thought sarcastically, 'Great small talk, Hera.'

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Since making it back from Starlight Beacon, Leon was like a new Jedi. Was he still struggling with crippling nightmares and a constant fear that any moment could be his last? Of course, but his connection to the force had become so effortless that the fear he felt seemed trivial. Was that the case everyday? No, he still had to put in the work. Everyday he had to follow the steps he’d written following an illuminating meditation. Discipline had become his crutch, not alcohol, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t plagued by temptation.

The menacing little voice in the back of his head droned on and on, “A drink, a drink, a drink…”

It was endless, but Leon trusted in the force and hoped it was just temporary. Luckily they were on Akiva. The jungle forest reminded Leon of Ellora, and that provided him with a measure of peace. There was just something appealing about thickness of the air as they walked. Hera had been a little distant since their jaunt on Sullest, and honestly, they hadn’t really talked about his fuck up with Peef yet, but he was sure it was coming.

Still unsure of the protocol between Master and Padawan, Leon didn’t speak until spoken too. It was about that time he noticed, Hera’s humming had stopped, he glanced over just as she began to ask her question.

“Whoa, that’s heavy,” he admitted as he considered her question, “As a whole the Sith have done terrible things, I don’t think a re-brand is cause to join forces,” he said after thinking for a moment, “But, that doesn’t mean I’d seek out an altercation either.”

He fell into his patented philosophical thinking pose and finished with, “If the Jedi are Peacekeepers, then I’m not sure why we’d want to align ourselves with a faction who are interested in protecting a single empire versus the plethora that populates the galaxy,” he decided, thinking out loud, “To be totally honest, I’m not sure the Jedi should align with any political group, isn’t that what ruined the Order during the clone wars?” he shrugged.

Since discovering the Deep Stone Crypt, and Starlight Beacon, Leon’s interest in the origins of the order had become nearly obsessive. Hell he carried an ancient lightsaber himself. Not to mention— Peetwo popped it’s head up out of his sling pack and nuzzled into Leon a little. Baudelaire chuckled, “I was wondering when you were gonna power on,” to Hera he said, “This is Peetwo,” then to Peetwo he said, “Peetwo, this is my master, Jedi Council Member, Hera Albion.”

Peetwo bobbed it’s little head respectfully, and then promptly disappeared back into Leon’s bag. “Don’t worry, he takes a little while to warm up.”

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Their conversation took them into the jungle as the pair walked. Previously, Hera had ridden a great beast along this path. However, this time around, they would need to walk it. Hera had beacons that needed to be placed delicately and deliberately so the locals could begin carving a road through the jungle. Making a path for sentient through the jungle without destroying the ecosystem was not impossible, but the markers needed to be created by someone who knew the way before any machines could make their way here.

Hera's face found itself graced with a more genuine smile as the little droid emerged from Leon's sling pack. Waving to the little machine, she responded, "Hello Peetwo!" Then allowed herself a giggle before adding, "I love BD units, so full of life and personality." Turning, she continued on the path without speaking for a few minutes. Placing a beacon, preparing it, moving on. Placing a beacon, preparing it, moving on...

Then, as if remembering she was having a conversation, Hera spoke once more, "You're not incorrect in your observations, though be mindful. Crafting peace with other factions in the galaxy is not the same as making allegiances with them. We are not islands of purity in an ocean of plebians, we are just as much a part of this galaxy as every blade of grass, living being, and political group. It is important to learn to live with those that do not with our existence destroyed."

Then, Hera's face fell slightly to a more serious expression. "I met with Preef Callo." She began, "After paying your ransom. What you did was foolhardy, though I can't fault your heart for being in the right place." Looking at him directly, she grinned, "Just have a better plan next time!"

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Baudelaire listened as Hera expanded upon her point. He considered her words, but wasn’t sure he agreed. If the friend of my friend is my enemy, then who is really my friend? It was obviously more complicated than, I don’t like them so we shouldn’t help them. Leon just wasn’t sure why the Jedi needed to rely on others when their mandate was to help others. Sure, a new fleet donation would be nice. He’d personally been on TWO jedi freighters than had gone down en route to a mission. He decided to stop thinking about this before his brain started to smoke.

Then she brought up Peef. His eyes lowered in shame. That whole mission had gone to hell in a handbasket. He wasn’t proud of the failure. He was ashamed Hera had been forced to come to his rescue. Man he was batting a thousand… Rather than mope about something he couldn’t change, Leon simply took Hera’s admonishment on the chin. To his surprise she was surprisingly soft with him about it. He basically got a slap on the wrist.

Cautiously, Leon shrugged saying,”Yeah, sure thing,” before returning her grin. Her words put him at ease. Since their last mission he’d been following a lead on a Black Sun enforcer operating on Ord Mantell, and he was planning to make some moves in the coming weeks. Fingers crossed his results were better than the padawan rescue…

“So, what’s the mission?” he asked. Hera, for whatever reason, was never forthcoming with the mission details. He enjoyed the freedom she allowed, but he did like at least knowing what he was supposed to be doing.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera nodded to Leon as she placed another marker, "The mission? Incredibly simple, thought we'd spend most of the time talking, to be honest. We just need to place these markers for a road and clear out an old separatist droid factory's command console room. I'd be worried about a Geonosian hive if it weren't for the fact that the locals have never spotted one. I had some questions for you though, mainly about how you've been and that lightsaber you carry with you."

As Hera spoke, almost imperceptibly, the jungle changed around the pair. Nothing visually had been distorted, but the moment Hera finished talking the pair would sense that they were decidedly not where they were mere moments before. It was comparable to falling asleep on a starship before it left the starport, then waking up after it had landed somewhere else. Visually nothing would be different, but a Jedi could 'feel' these changes when they happened.

Turning to Leon, Hera set down the rest of her markers and tried to speak. However, all that emerged from her mouth was a cold, mirthless laugh. Then, in a single blink, Leon was gone. Hera found herself alone in the jungle, surrounded by that terrible laugh. It sounded like her, but distorted and devoid of any real happiness. She reached for her lightsabers but found them missing. Despite having no clue where they went, she was not confused as to why they were gone.

Something had gone terribly wrong, and Hera could sense nothing but that cold, dark presence. It was familiar to her, and that was perhaps the most terrifying thing of all.

-------------------------------------

Leon, on the other hand, would see Hera try to speak before fading into a puff of smoke. The jungle morphed and changed around him, at once turning from a foreign place into something far more familiar. It was almost as if he was suddenly back on Adumar. No- not 'almost as if,' if he tried to sense where he was, it would feel exactly like his memories of Adumar. A handful of Farumme galloped past him. One, more curious than the others, stopped for but a moment to examine him before it too would gallop on.

This was Adumar, it had to be right?

Then, like a voice calling him home, he would hear it. Someone very close to him was calling his name. They were far away, through the mist in the forest, but they desperately wanted him to come to them. "Leon," It spoke, its voice no louder than a whisper in his ear yet still so impossibly far away, "Come home, all can be forgiven. Come home."

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

”Well that does explain the markers,” Leon got in with a chuckle as Hera stooped to place another. When she revealed the real plan behind this mission Leon frowned. Was that normal? Seemed kinda sus, but honestly, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. He realized that Hera was one of the first people he’d met when he joined the Jedi, hell she’d literally trained Dash, so why was he so hesitant to trust her? Before Leon had time to process Hera’s questions, he watched the world melt away.

It happened so fast that by the time Leon realized things were changing he was staring at a landscape that had been burned into the very recesses of his being. Immediately, tears stung his verdant eyes as he locked gazes with the majestic reptile. It’s indigo scales shimmered in the waning light as it trotted off to catch up with it’s ilk. Even the smell was accurate.

“Leon,” whispered the wind. Baudelaire whipped around looking for the voice's source. Instinctively he reached up to his cheek and frowned when his fingers slid over the ruined skin of his cheek. This— This was real?! He thought.

“Come home, all can be forgiven.” He wasn’t sure what that meant. He’d chosen to leave in order to protect his family, but the voice was so familiar. It was the voice he’d wished to hear since the day he’d left. Finally, as he turned toward the voice's origin an ethereal maw ripped open and enveloped him. The scenery around Leon imploded and refracted like the colors in a kaleidoscope. Everything that was, was, but at the same time it was something else. Something old and something new. Ancient and brand new.

His surroundings snapped together, sharpening just like the stars after dropping out of hyperspace. All around him, the rural borderlands of Adumar were replaced by Catann City’s Downbelow. Leon’s eyes were so wide he couldn't believe they didn’t fall out of his head. He was on his street. He was actually home! Right? He was home wasn’t he? His recent experience on Eiram started to set off alarms in his head, but all of that was swiped away when the source of the voice stepped out of the shadows saying, “Come home.”

“Dad?” croaked Leon.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

--------------------------------------Hera's vision--------------------------------------​

It was here. It was here and yet it could not be here. Hera knew the familiar feeling of this darkness. It was an old friend, a comforter in her most profound moments, a fuel when her fires burned low. It was not cold, patient, or methodical. It was white hot, impulsive rage. She knew what she had to do, she had to bury it. Too many times had she indulged in the madness, now it threatened to overtake her.

"I will bury you! As I have done so many times before!" She shouted with a wild grin on her face, though she did not feel it. Her orange dual-bladed lightsaber leaped to her hands as she laughed.

"I will bury you! As I have done so many times before!" The rage shouted back. It was formless for but a moment, until shape took upon it and a dual-bladed orange lightsaber lept to its hands.

The fight begins.

--------------------------------------Leon's vision--------------------------------------​

"My boy, I've missed you." The voice, Isskai, Leon's uncle, no, Leon's father. This is how Leon remembered him, and this is what he was. Not a day seemed to have passed his face since the last time the young man saw him. He embraced Leon tearfully, speaking as he did so. "We should have never sent you away. You could have done so much more good here with the resistance." The voice sounded almost far away, yet the form of Leon's father was as close as two men hugging could be.

Stepping away, he spoke again, "Leave the Jedi, we need you here. Your family needs you. The dueling ring calls, already we have put you forth as a challenger to the imperial duelist holding the top spot. Come, there isn't much time." They had no moved, but they had moved. At once, they were behind the great durasteel gate of the Adumari Duelist League Pit Arena. Outside, the crowd cheered and roared for Leon, they called him by name. They called him-

"Lionheart! Lionheart! Lionheart!"

At the other end of the arena, a cloaked figure stood waiting. In their hands, the familiar glint of a lightsaber hilt. Again, his father would speak, "Go, my son, we need you."

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon’s head swam as his father reached out and wrapped him in a tight embrace, but that wasn’t right. Isskai wasn’t affectionate… he showed his love in other ways, but Baudelaire wasn’t fighting it. He’d dreamed of this very moment from the day he left Adumar. Had he not just survived an illusion like this he would have been consumed in that moment. Locked in his father’s loving embrace, but Leon knew he couldn’t.

Before he could figure out how to break this spell, the scene around them changed. He was standing in the corridor of the Dueling pit. The wrought iron work bars that blocked the way shook under the crowd's fervor. They chanted his name and as he stepped into the sands he looked down and his clothes had been replaced by his dueling jerkin and breeches. Instead of Daybreak on his hip, he carried Lionheart in it’s sheath.

His opponent was both familiar and completely a stranger. Even as Leon attempted to focus on the man’s features the only thing he could be sure of was the glint of a lightsaber hilt on his hip.

His father’s words encouraged him to move forward, which was precisely why Leon stopped. He wasn’t going to play into this trick any longer—

Suddenly, his chest felt like it was set on fire. Leon’s emotions went haywire, he was furious, hurt, betrayed, bewildered, and then… empty. Baudelaire blinked, looking around the manifestation with a new sense of appreciation, the fact that this conjurer was able to replicate those— Leon clutched his chest as the wave of emotions crashed into him again. He was forced to his knees as the pain sought to over take him.

The sky above the arena fractured. The fissures streaked across the sky like a battered spider web. The newly formed cracks in the atmosphere spilled an aether that looked similar to the miasma of hyperspace. Leon’s face was screwed up in pain. He was still on his knees when he heard the snap-hiss of the faceless man, but when Leon looked up there standing in the faceless man’s place was… Ezra. (@Sreeya)

His brother’s face was blank. He was detached, trying to protect himself from something. Leon frowned, Ezra turned away and started walking. Before Leon could follow, he was forced into a roll, as the beam of a crimson hued lightsaber streaked overhead. By the time he looked back in Ezra’s direction he was gone.

Baudelaire’s attention shifted to the goon with the red lightsaber. If he had to go through this fucking apparition to get to Ezra, he might as well get after it. Leon rose to his full height and pulled Lionheart. The familiar sound of blade scraping soft leather was like music to his ears. He pulled back the hammer on the weapons and adopted his fighting stance.

That’s when all hell broke loose.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

-------------------------------------Hera's Vision-------------------------------------

The clash of blades was like an orange whirlwind of death, their twin bodies moving faster than the eye could follow as each pushed themselves to the limit. Hera had begun to piece together what was happening, but the more knowledge she gained the more she felt horror. Akiva wasn't supposed to have a Force nexus, nothing great or terrible had ever really happened here. Yet, she could not deny the vision before her. Hera's own anger, rage, and toxic joy pulled from her core were fighting with the same skill Hera's mind and body knew.

But, with her anger, rage, and joy pulled out of her, Hera felt something profoundly dark left in its place. A deep, resounding emptiness echoed inside the woman, and it proved to her what she had suspected all along. Hera felt nothing. Hera was two people, one of extreme joy and uncontrollable rage, and one that felt nothing at all. She searched once more for anything that might resemble love, compassion, and desire to do the right thing-

Nothing.

Suddenly, she stopped fighting, and the blade of her emotions swung for her neck. The beast would have her, and Hera would let it. This was for the best. Without the beast, the only guiding principles that made up Hera Albion were emptiness and nihilism. Emptiness like that reflected a terrible evil that she feared would destroy her if she let it rule. Instead, she let go.

As the blade passed through her body, she spoke, "I am one with the Force, and the Force is with me."

Then, everything went black.


-------------------------------------Leon's Vision-------------------------------------

As Leon adopted the fighting stance, the faceless man began to laugh. The world around Leon cracked and fractured once more, though clearly, this was still the work of the illusion. Its voice spoke in disjointed movement with its newly formed mouth, echoing like a dozen taunting children, "So it doesn't fear does it? Then it sees the future!"

In an instant, a new figure was upon him. Brandishing Leon's own blade, Daybreak. The lightsaber crackled with ferocious energy in the hands of this new being. His hair, thick and brown, was slicked back with a thick layer of unwashed grease. An uneasy smile graced the man, dressed in a dirty blue vest, brown pants, and a brown undershirt. His eyes, a mixture of bloodshot yellow and verdant green, met Leon's own in a stare.

One hand holding the blade, the other a flask, the new figure took a swig and laughed. "Woah, I really haven't fuckin' changed! C'mon, uh, 'kid,' let's see how well our old Jedi training holds up." And in a blurring instant, the figure dashed toward Leon. Daybreak swung in his hands, aiming to bisect the young man from his left midsection to his right.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

The fractured sky shattered. The miasma conflgrated setting the ruined sky ablaze. The shadow being took form and Leon faltered. The hatred. The disdain. The pain. The failure. All of it was there. The man’s eyes were a forest set a blaze as his gaze settled on Leon. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, this couldn't be… and then his enemy ignited their lightsaber. A blade the color of day's first light sparing into existence. Then he heard his voice come from another person. The shock threw him.

Only the flash of his pale blade brought him back. Leon just barely managed to parry the blow with Lionheart. The force of the attack drove him back a step. Now he was on the defensive and knowing himself, knew the other’s aggression would only intensify. Leon needed to make a stand but he just couldn’t find an opening.

“Aw man, me from the future is lame!” complained Leon.

The attacks intensified. “You did this to us, you fucking twit. I’m you!”

Daybreak’s blade slammed into the broad side of Lionheart knocking Leon back sending him toppling to the ground. The Leon of Future’s yet to Pass didn’t miss his golden opportunity to swoop in for the kill.

Leon Prime was scrabbling backward swatting with Lionheart as Leon #2 went on the assault. “You left,” he struck and as he attacked he screamed, “OUR FAMILY!”

The blow battered Lionheart, scoring the blade.

Future Leon swung again, “You sprung the sith’s,” he struck and screamed again, “TRAP!”

This time Daybreak didn’t pull away; it bore into the side of Lionheart as Leon struggled under the weight of his failures. Those hate filled forest fire eyes glared into his. “YOU COULDN’T PROTECT FERRIN OR DASH ON BERCHEST!” Spittle flew from his mouth as he screamed, “THEY GOT HURT BECAUSE OF YOU, AND THEY HATED YOU FOR IT!”

The Older Leon gave a savage shove and the broadside of Lionheart slammed into Baudelaire’s nose. Tears stung his eyes and he tasted blood. He was sure this was it. He couldn't see he was defenseless, but he still tried, Leon rolled and sprang up to his feet looking around wildly for his future self. He was just standing there Daybreak at the ready and a sinister little smirk on his face.

“C’mon just taste it,” Future Leon took a swig from his flask, “Dip a toe in, it’s fun, believe me, I’m you, and would I ever lie to myself? You’ll have to ask me some time,” he laughed.

Leon breathed heavy, Lionheart was damaged, this wasn’t good.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

-------------------------------------Leon-------------------------------------​

As Leon's fight dragged on, the sky itself began splitting and twisting. Blinding light streamed from the sky above as sunlight through the cracks in a cave ceiling, it would sting to the touch and scorch the ground beneath it. The ringing of their blades sang a terrible song through the Force, resonating with dark power. The crowd laughed as Leon fell to the ground, their chants continuing with increasing ferocity-

"Lionheart! Lionheart! LIONHEART!"

The other Leon reveled in the praise, for were they not also shouting his 'name?' The sky broke apart further, shattered pieces of it falling and killing dozens of members of the crowd. The deaths went unnoticed, the onlookers whipped into a frenzy. All around him, Leon would feel the allure of darkness. To give in to that power now, to feed off the death and chaos around him, would surely free him of this torment.

And the crowd kept shouting!

"LiOnHeArT! lIoNhEaRt!

LiiIIIIOOONHEEEEA!rRRRrrt!"

then, suddenly, silence.

There was a single, solitary second where the darkness relented. The crowd quieted, and Leon #2 stood as though frozen. This was Leon's chance. It would be so easy to draw upon the power that yet still swirled around him, kill his future, and take his destiny into his own hands.

It would be so easy.

-------------------------------------Hera-------------------------------------​

Hera sat quietly in the midst of the jungle floor. About her, the beacon markers were scattered about as if she had simply tripped and dropped them. Before her, Leon lay unconscious. Inside her, Hera felt-

nothing

Sighing, the Councilor crossed her legs and reached out with the Force. There was great darkness here, but she could not feel it. For the moment, it rejected her. It wanted nothing to do with her. Swirling and writhing about in the air, it sought her Padawan. There were battles that needed to be fought alone, perhaps this was one. But in her emptiness, Hera could not prevent the selfish thoughts from rising to her surface.

Even in this trial, she would provide him a way out.

Reaching out toward Leon through the Force, Hera could feel the dark energies attempt to attack her once again. Aware of their presence now, she could not be easily taken into a new vision. Still, she saw the faces of all those whom she felt she had failed and disappointed stand beside her. Their judgmental gazes watched her closely.

Crix Aran, Willa Kanz, Haldir Eressëa, Dash Pavan, Ezra Thorne, Mariel Deery, Larai Myr-

Larai, Hera could still hear her voice in the back of her mind, "You are incapable of love, Hera, and I can't fix you."

The words stung just as much now as they had a decade ago when Larai Myr broke up with her. Larai was correct, the Mirialan had seen right through her. Hera was not capable of love, it was one of many failings of the Councilor. It was this pain that the Darkness latched onto, and Hera felt her strength waver as she reached out to Leon. She could provide him a clarity of consciousness for a moment, an instant to make a decision in his own trial.

But it would still be his decision to make.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Leon couldn’t let this drag on he had to get this over with. He rolled backward over his shoulder and came up to his feet, Lionheart's mangled blade held at the ready.

His future scoffed, “The fuck you gonna do with that thing?”

The older version of himself launched forward in a powerful overhead strike. The sky behind him was ripped asunder. The crowd around him scrambled for his victory. Daybreak’s pale yellow blade cast the rest of his body in shadow. Their gazes met. A vibrant lively glade stared into a forest engulfed in flame. In the roiling hatred of his future Leon understood the truth.

Pale lightning crackled across Baudelaire’s knuckles. The temptation to strike himself down was immense. It would be so easy, so simple, such a trap. So, Leon sprung a trap of his own. Baudelaire channeled the force into his palm, lightning crackled and sparked. His future arrived roaring, swinging, and writhing.

Leon slipped the raged filled strike and countered with an uppercut ripped right out of the Elloran martial arts handbook. Pure electricity slammed into his future and dropped it to it’s knees, then he crashed to the ground face first.

As soon as his future hit the ground the dream shattered like a broken mirror. Leon’s eyes snapped open and he sat up with a start. His breath was ragged and confusion stampeded across his face while his pupils adjusted to the daylight filtering through the treetops.

“What happened, where? Did you feel that thing with Ezra? Was this a test?” he cupped his head in his hands as his reality finished tuning to the right station. He took a breath and steadied himself repeating his mantra as he breathed in and then out.

“Okay, are we still under attack?” he asked, logic back at the forefront of his mind. Once they were safe he’d fill Hera in on what he’d seen. He had to get to Ezra, now.

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera stood quietly as Leon woke from the vision. Removing her blackened goggles to rub her delicate eyes, Hera shook her head. The Dark Presence, as quickly as it had descended upon them, fled from Hera the instant Leon broke free of its grasp. It would seem that without a powerful Force User to latch upon, whatever power that spirit had dissipated. A danger of this world she would need to document for the council later.

"We were attacked, it's gone. A test? Yes, though not one of my making. Perhaps it was nothing more than a random attack, perhaps something more concerning. I will investigate it later." Hera's voice was flat, devoid of emotion. Her features too reflected in her tone, a neutral expression dominated her as she attempted to center herself within the Force once more. Where her center lay now, she could not yet pinpoint.

Shaking her head to refocus from the within to the without, Hera continued. "You speak of Ezra, did something happen to him? I did not sense his presence, but your bond with the young Thorne is far stronger than my own. If you believe he may be in danger, and it was not a trick of the vision, go to him. I can finish here."

And indeed Hera could. Now fully aware of the dangers of this world, she would not be caught off guard again. All that was left was to set some beacons and power up a control center. Mundane tasks she felt she could handle alone, surely. At that moment, she recognized that she had not smiled yet, and attempted to flash a quick one to Leon to reassure him. It did not last long, and she was terrible at faking a smile.

@Zay

 

[Leon Baudelaire]

Hera was being super calm and it was lowkey freaking him out. Not to mention this intense need to leave. Leon wasn’t scared he was compelled. For the first time since learning of the preternatural power he could finally say he knew what it felt like to understand the force. To feel it’s guiding hand. Even as he stood he could feel a growing desire to be back in The Freebird and heading for gods knew where.

But there was something in Hera’s blank expression that held him in place. He knew what he’d been through in the vision. She was a council member so realistically, she was probably out of that trap in like two seconds, but...Then she flashed him a fake smile and he knew something was wrong.

“Look, there’s a lot rushing through my poor excuse for a brain right now,” his brow furrowed, “I want to tell you everything, but I-I can feel I have to go now.” His furrowed brow rose into an concerned crease, “I was looking forward to this,” unconsciously he started pacing, “I have a bunch of dumb shit I need to ask, and yeah I’ll tell you about Daybreak it’s a pretty cool story, actually,” he frowned, feeling like he was failing her. Failing his master, but knowing he had to go.

He stepped forward and wrapped her in an awkward hug, “Thank you for trusting me.”

Leon let her go and didn’t look back. He ran as hard and as fast as the force would carry him. He didn’t know what was going on, but he knew one thing for sure. Something was terribly wrong with Ezra.

/exit

@Black Noise

 

[Hera "The Joyful" Albion]

Hera returned the hug, as an older sister might do to a younger sibling before they left on a long trip. Something about this moment made Hera feel as though she should worry for Leon, as if the Padawan was stepping into a danger he was unprepared for. However, she was unable to force herself to feel anything as he left and Hera continued on with the mission.

With the danger passed, the rest of the day moved like a blur. Setting up the beacons, reaching the control center, and clearing it of trash and debris. It all passed like a blur until Hera found herself in front of the planetary governor the next day. An entire day had passed before Hera had become to become like herself once more, smiling and laughing. The Joy returned with the news that the droid factory had been put under limited production, first aiming to sell enough droids to get Hera's investments returned before an army could be purchased from them.

A mission well completed, though Hera felt as though she might never be the same.

/end thread