she stared death in the face and was not afraid.

you think you scare me? you're the one who is LURKING in the shadows . . . keeping who you REALLY are a S E C R E T. you're the one who's scared. if you're going to kill me, get on with it. better yet, take these binders off me and hand me my LIGHTSABER. ________________________________________ written by vee. they/she. 20. est. for galacticshq.

[padawangone]

FLORENCE PUGH // have you met ELDRA KAITIS yet? SHE/HER is a TWENTY-FOUR year old CIS FEMALE TWI'LEK , originally from RYLOTH but typically resides on A YV-666 LIGHT FREIGHTER. after everything they've gone through, they now show loyalty to THE UNALIGNED. they are best known for being a FORMER JEDI & BOUNTY HUNTER, and i hear they’ve grown pretty AMBITIOUS yet also NAIVE at times; i hope they survive the galactic civil war.

L O A D I N G : // …  8ABY : MONTH TWO … //

5 aby to the beginnings of 8 aby ;

( original intro )

rebuilding her saber on a relaxed - security ilum , she finds her color changed - blue to purple.

new saber in hand , she creates a new career for herself , avoiding joining the new jedi order & becoming a bounty hunter & bodyguard for hire , working in the galactic underworld with little hand in the overarching conflict between republic & empire.

attending the event on hapes at the side of a crime lord , she uses it as an excuse to steal the crown jewels , encountering & working alongside the chiss inquisitor third sister.

also at hapes , she has a drink with lando calrissian - a contact from his days working as a smuggler - and once again meets darth maul , who had killed her over twenty years before.

she also encounters & has lunch with kylo ren , unknowing of his identity , and quickly warming to the sith lord as a friend & benefactor.

[padawangone]

leaderen​:

Ah, and there it was. He had heard of those for the time before him. Those in the Jedi Order and their padawans. Luke had left nothing uncovered, except, of course, the truth of who his lineage was tied to. And who he was related to. There’s a smile though and an extended, black leather gloved hand for her to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Eldra. A pretty name.”

Perhaps he was being far too sweet for where he was placed but he knows the game well enough to stay undercover. It was one nice thing for him, where most people only saw him as Kylo Ren with the helmet on. It’s why he made sure to always where it with it’s voice modulator when he was out, when he was doing official business for those of the Order, for Snoke. 

“I’m Ben. Ben Solo.” He pauses, letting that sink in, watching her to see if she can make the connection and if she does, he’ll give her far more than a meal and a drink for being that smart and knowing his history, especially for not being from his time. “What is it that you’ll have?”

she  takes  his  hand , black  synthleather  fingerless  gloves  of  her  own touching  his , hiding  calloused  palms  from  two  decades  of  saber  training.  a  smile  coats  her  lips  at  his  compliment , flattery  &  flirtation. 

“ ben. ” the  name  rolls  from  her  tongue , simple  &  short. “ solo. ” eyebrow  quirks  upwards  at  the  latter , curious. the  name  resonates  with  han , name - known  galaxy - wide ,  but  none  with  the  future ,  the  progeny & prodigy ; avoidance  of  both  sides  blinding  her  in  this  instance. still , something  familiar  rings in  his  tone  ,  his  smile  -  an  idea  that  she  should  know  of  him , confidence  &  power  carried  in  his  posture. “ a  fitting  name ,  considering  how  i  found  you. ”

“ so , solo - ” , she  leans  forward  ,  chin  on  elbows  &  smirk  on  lips , “ is  it  business  or  pleasure  that  brings  you  to  coruscant ? ”

[padawangone]

“It’s a trap!”

" i've figured that out ! " the twi'lek responds back , purple saber igniting at the signal in the force just as blaster shots begin to ring out. " you got a plan to get us out of here , or should i just kill them all ? " the jedi she'd been revolted at the words , but the life she'd lived since had learned that sometimes sacrifices had to be made & morality bended.

[padawangone]

“It’s your choice, but I warn you not to underestimate my power.” (from maul)

" funny , i was going to say the same thing. " she didn't doubt his powers had grown - word of his advancement through the underworld signaled as much - but so had her own , albiet away from the influence of the order. but maybe that was a good thing - trained under the jedi , she'd fallen to his hand. he was still drawing from the dark side , the same tricks , just improved. but she had a whole new arsenal at her disposal. " although what i once warned you is still true. i'm not the jedi you want to kill. " then , she'd been just a padawan. now , separate from the order entirely.

[padawangone]

leaderen·:

there’s a curious look that crosses kylo’s gaze and he watches her for a moment, a single eyebrow raising a little curiously but he doesn’t press, at least for now. had she not known him? had she not recognize him? perhaps she wasn’t from his time in the future and if that was the case, should he have introduced himself as ben solo, a supposed friend of the resistance or kylo ren, the leader of the knights of ren, and someone who was so feared in the galaxy most wouldn’t have accepted such a casual drink with him? options lay themselves out before him and doesn’t stop the small smirk that crosses his features. “you never know who wishes to discuss politics these days.” he half laughs, finding humor in it and finding a sense of relaxation in her presence. perhaps this wouldn’t be so bad after all. “what’s your name, stranger? since i’m buying you a drink and perhaps a meal, if you’re hungry.” it was a start.

“ i’m eldra. ” no  lie  slips  from  well - practiced  lips , no  falsehood  given.  the  name  is  common  enough  among  her  people ,  if  not  several  decades  fading  from  fashion -  a  clue ,  perhaps ,  if  he  were  smart  enough  to  play  along.

brow  cocks , intrigued.  he  was  being  awfully  kind  for  a  stranger , especially  one  in  this  sector ; but  perhaps  he  was  genuine.  that  smile  certainly  seemed  like  it  was.  and  if  it  wasn’t ?  the  lilac  crystal  encased  in a  smooth  hilt  that  currently  rested  in  her  jacket  had  yet  to  fail  her. 

“ i  think  i  deserve  to  know  the  name  of the  mysterious , handsome  newcomer  treating  me  to  a  meal ,  don’t you think ? ” she  watches  him  with  attentive  ice-blue  eyes , curiosity  lensed  over  a  lack  of  malice ; the  question  bore  no ill - will , no  ulterior  motive  other  than  uncovering  just  who  exactly  the  force  had  called  her  to. “ unless  you  prefer  stranger. ”

[devsta]

──   the hall is shadowed just enough,  secluded from the buzz of the party.   above all,  it is convenient.   maul lurks as an ephemeral thing,  prowling in the underside of socialization.   his entry was made through vague connections and a turn of the hand,  intrigue only piquing at the word of a particular invitee.   the one that advances towards his vicinity is not the one he waits for,  but is a figment of the past nonetheless.

a familiar hum graces the fringes of himself.   distant but distinct,  the force sings of an old sacrifice to his starvation,  the first of many.   this is the memory that calls to him:  the scent of scarlet cauterizing upon impact,  a final look to her eyes,  the declaration of what she was and who he will be.   the imagery weakens into pathos,  or rather,  the lack of:   hunger left unsated,  a light going out.   absence upon absence.  (  & there was the thrill.  the thrill of defiance,  even if manufactured. ) 

brows furrow.  anticipating her approach,  his fist unclenches and falls to the small of his back,  latching to its match.   her presence is not entirely unexpected   ─   rumors of a hunter and her saber traveled far quicker than any other,   their degrees of separation shortening with each clientele.  for her to finally find him here,  however,  was unplanned.   slightly fortunate for her then,  to encounter him unarmed.  the path he follows is halfway to encircling,  the spool of fate curling at their ankles.   there is a pause as he stands at the peripherals before encroaching a moment after,  studying.  and so they meet again.   ❝  in an age where the dead walk amongst the living,   ❞   a languid blink;  irises dart.   ❝  ─   i had wondered when you’d make your appearance.   ❞  

                  ──  @padawangone​

[padawangone]

the force had a way of crafting parallels when it came to eldra kaitis ; two masters , two sabers , two lives. two fate-born meetings with the sanguine & death marked apprentice , no silver saber hilt in her hands when he graced her with that wicked smile & predator’s examination for the second time.

the hunger , the shadow , the wretchedness that roiled off his half - broken form ( if the histories were to be believed , the jedi’s golden son in kenobi finishing what eldra could not ) ; it was at once both intimately familiar - you did not forget the death-marked blow - and new , a rawness & vile , untamed anger wrapped in power gnawing at the little light she still held herself to.

she halts at the sense before sight , blue eyes sweeping the corridor & spooled shadows ; not in fear , a prey’s last attempt to gain a hand - no , eldra kaitis was not afraid. she had challenged him on that front forty years before , she would do so again. worthy deaths did not come wrapped in cowardice & foolishness - and she was neither coward nor fool. she would far more fear a life of servitude & wandering hands than ceasing at the slash of a crimson blade. she had him to thank for that , at least , for ending that suffering before it began , cutting through the only fear she had felt that day.

lekku curl in instinct , tips jabbing into the exposed skin of her back in a silent swear as her eyes confirm the shade she’d felt , dark - forged face & hunter’s eyes boring into her in their emergence. he’d wondered about her - she wasn’t sure if that was thrilling or foreboding , a warning or disguised praise.

“ i’m hard to kill , ” a straight stance , ears humming with the call of her crystal rooms away , begging to ignite and wash them both in lilac light. “ although it appears you are , too. ”

[padawangone]

riotheartd​:

“yeah,” trever hummed, looking perfectly unphased. he was used to being cornered (even though being cornered here made him a little uneasy), and learned early how he could act when this kind of thing happened. “gotta do what you gotta do, right?” but be meaner? that wasn’t something he liked to do. or was good at. he was better at jokes and banter. “listen — i’ve been taking care of this place for when the owners come back. so if you’re here to fight, i’d rather take that outside so that my work doesn’t go to waste.” trever didn’t mind fighting. what he really minded, though, was ferus and roan being mad at him because they were going to find out if he damaged the store.

hands go up, a mock surrender, laughing smile still touching her half-shadowed features. “i’m not here to fight.” well, she wasn’t supposed to be. but really, who hired a bounty hunter to use their words? ( her current employers, apparently ).

“and i wouldn’t dream of destroying your store.” the twi’lek adds, glancing around the dimly lit space with a curious eye. “i may have broken my way in, but i’m not the type of person to destroy the hard work of another.” well, there was a very angry - and hopefully very dead - woman out there who would vehemently disagree, but eldra had grown far past the cares of xev xrexus. and, in the process, grown into some more destructive tendencies. but trever flume didn’t need to know that.

“you can sit down.” head inclines to an open countertop, to match her own perch. “i just have a few pre-prepared words for you, then i’ll be on my way.” 

[padawangone]

leaderen·:

how long had it been since he had stepped foot on the surface of coruscant without any malicious intent behind his actions? surely it had been far too long. a planet so beautiful had once been on his destruction list but he’s finding himself glad that it had survived. he makes his way towards the café, after all, he’s here for leisure and pleasure and nothing beyond that. he’s done with the war for today. no talks of such, no thoughts of it, either, he’d much rather be here, enjoying the sun and a cup of coffee outside. he takes a seat once he’s arrived at the café and has placed an order, but what he’s not expecting is the company. dark gaze shifts upward, looking toward the newcomer with mild interest. “well, if you’re not here about the war or the sides, take a seat and order a drink. i’ll accept the company.”

for a moment, she considers making a “what war?” joke ( you could never say she didn’t take risks ), but considering the moody & perhaps a little dramatic dark look that cloaks the figure, the twi’lek bites back her tongue.

“do i really look like i’m here for politics?” blue eyes look down at her own clothing, callused fingers picking at her simple shirt & worn synthleather jacket ( okay, maybe she was the dramatic one here ). “not getting off to a good foot, stranger.” she teases, voice bright & light & utterly uncaring - and unknowing - as to who she’d fallen into company with. 

at his invitation, she pulls out the rather plain chair and sits - “you read my mind” coming from grinning lips - crossing one leg over the other as if she’d been there all afternoon. she takes the moment of settling in to examine him, curious but not probing - a glance would do. something about him seemed interesting, had drawn her his way, & the former jedi wanted to find out what. with luck, it’d be that he possessed a rather large sum of credits that he was just waiting to give to some kind-looking stranger.

somehow, she rather doubted it.

[whymustthestarswar]

[padawangone]

@devsta

[padawangone]

well, this was certainly something new.

just before midnight, the twi'lek had taken the distraction of the anticipation & gathering in the main ballroom to take her leave ( without a goodbye ? oh, she knew she was a horrible party guest ), and retreat into the gallery, where her true intention awaited. she hadn't stolen her way into an invite just to drink expensive alderaanian wine & meet the upper crust of coruscant & core world society.

transparisteel cases covered an eggsnest of shimmering stones & artifacts, glinting under the artistically-designed lighting, surely the work of someone getting paid far too much for tinkering with some gels. what someone was getting paid for enough was the security, with the layout being far too hard to obtain & staff and rifle-wielding hapans stationed at every corner.

but she'd prepared, as any good thief did.

but no amount of preparation or study had made seeing a chiss not unexpected. she'd heard the stories, of course, from younglings from wild space during her time at the temple, from drunk pirates & cargo pilots in bars once she'd had the fortune of returning to the galaxy. the stories spoke of bloodthirsty, ruthless aliens - certainly not of rather attractive women in black-tie.

"am i the only one who thinks this display of audacious wealth might be, ah, compensating for something?"

starter for @threeofsabers with the chiss inquisitor third sister

[padawangone]

swishycapes·:

an easy laugh parted their lips and lando offered a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders, as though his flirtatious nature was not a frequent part of his interactions with others. it was, of course. he credited it with what made him so likable. “well, who doesn’t want to drink with a beautiful woman?” he countered easily, not missing a beat in his reply. “what can i get for you? chardonnay, champagne? or something a bit stronger?”

“i think an event like this requires some champagne.” she responds lightly, smile grazing her dark-painted lips. a celebration of life & new alliances, certainly, but it was shaping up to be far more successful than just politically. 

she had no interest in deliberations between the new republic & their enemies, nor the gossip of senators and jedi - no, she was not here to celebrate their dealings, ( although she had to begrudgingly admit that what the fledgling government had accomplished was impressive, considering the long-standing reputation of the hapans ), but rather to serve her own ends. the cynic in her wanted to remark that everyone here was there for their own ends & agendas - while that might be true for most of the crowd, socialites glittering & waltzing & gossiping to no end, it did not appear to be true for some of the more well-known members of republic government. and considering what she’d learned of the last regime - albeit in her history skipped over by a crimson blade & returned by the emperor’s rift - that was quite the good start. 

“what are we drinking to?” she queries, a clever sparkle in her blue eyes. “new alliances? the new year?” or something else entirely? surely a man as . . . criminally experienced as lando calrissian wasn’t purely here for politics. 

[padawangone]

swishycapes·:

this was the exact kind of environment that lando thrived in –– just shy of midnight, and he could not have been more pleased with himself. although he had brought a date, he had also not shied away from giving jyn time to explore as well as taking plenty for himself. they had always been a natural for gravitating toward people that he found interesting, and tonight was no different than that. “can i get you a drink?” he offered, his usual charming smile resting on his features. 

“well, you certainly know the way to a girl’s heart.” sharp teeth match his grin, at his sight & offer. “i’d love one.” she was already through the door; what was the harm in having a drink or two? with the looks of this place, there wasn’t any risk in losing an edge. hell, it might make all this socialization easier. she hadn’t quite processed how many rich socialites she’d have to wade through before getting what she really came for. 

[maleficent-avatars]

[butts-art]

Eldra lives AU

[padawangone]

eldra kaitis' apparel for the hapan consortium's life day gathering, circa final night of 7aby.

[padawangone]

riotheartd​:

Trever’s hideout was the same as it had always been, and he was ready to defend it. He was used to that — protecting the empty, now abandoned building of Olin/Lands in case Ferus or Roan came back had been the task he gave himself after waking up. It was useful to stay in there, even if the memories hurt. 

He had to find a place to stay after all, and apparently that Force-nonsense brought anyone and everyone back. Meaning that the shop was at risk every day of a break-in, just like tonight. Trever was about to eat street food he traded for in the Ussan market when he heard a creaking noise from behind him.

Lurking in the shadows, he followed the noise around, using the advantage that he already knew the place. And — there. He wasn’t alone anymore but didn’t recognize the figure in front of him.

“I’m surprised you’ve come this far,” Trever said, a teasing grin on his face. “but you’ll have to turn back.”

“ooh, bossy.” her voice rings out, curious eyes watching the boy as he steps about the room, following her tracks. perched cross-legged on a cracked counter, the twi’lek grins at trever, bright eyes blinking in the near-dark. her chin rests in a fingerless-gloved hand, posture & tone relaxed. odd, for someone breaking & entering, it would seem.

“not quite convincing enough, though.” her other arm moves up from her lap to prop up her chin, both hands cupping her cheeks in an almost-childlike position when matched with her grin. “try again. be meaner about it.”

he was certainly lackadaisical for having cornered the ussan black market; in her experience, people that up-and-coming ( and wanted, that kind of power didn’t not put a target on your back - that’s why she was here, after all ) tended to have a better sense of security. or, at least, be a quick draw. nothing she couldn’t handle, she was sure. four years doing this, and only a few close calls. and certainly not with someone as scrawny and youthful as the figure before her. looks could be deceiving, though, and a part of her hoped he’d surprise her, put up a good fight. it’d be fun. plus, get her paid more.

[padawangone]

― blue born & blue bladed, she has turned her back what she knew, life of crisp linen & dusty tomes sacrificed with her body on a backwater moon. a silver-hilted saber still sings at her side, but not for one; allegiances put a target on your back, and if she has one, it will be for what she has done, not her people.

FLORENCE PUGH // have you met ELDRA KAITIS yet ? SHE/HER is a TWENTY-FOUR year old CIS FEMALE TWI’LEK. she's originally from RYLOTH and now shows loyalty to THE UNALIGNED. she is best known for being A JEDI PADAWAN BOUNTY HUNTER, and i hear she's pretty FEARLESS yet EMOTIONS-DRIVEN at times; i hope she survives the galactic civil war.

the past ; born into the waning years of the high republic, eldra was raised in the coruscanti jedi temple, the urban rush a far cry from the plains of ryloth her people hailed from.

eight years before the sith would reveal themselves to the galaxy & the chosen one would join the jedi order, eldra would become a jedi padawan, apprenticed under master sifo-dyas until his removal from the jedi council, when she was reassigned to another master. beginning to become disillusioned with the jedi due to this decision, eldra found herself straying slightly from the code, leaning into arrogance and emotion.

she preferred to resolve conflicts with her lightsaber rather than diplomacy, a contradicting policy with the jedi's teachings, remnants from their time as peacekeepers during the golden age of the republic rather than the warriors the sith were slowly molding them to become.

in 32 bby, at the age of twenty, eldra's master was killed while the pair were chaperoning a diplomatic shuttle, and the padawan was taken captive by the xrexus cartel. to be sold to the highest bidder to do with what they pleased, this plan was foiled by the sith apprentice maul, who stole her away from the industrialist jee kra.

their ship, however, crash-landed on a moon of drazkel. after teaming up with the zabrak to dispense of the bounty hunters sent after them, the twi'lek dueled maul. despite only being a padawan, she held her own, nearly winning - until maul surprised her as she was walking away, driving his crimson blade through her stomach.

the present ; eldra found herself pulled from the moment of her death, saber wound still fresh. the force seemingly did not will for her to die, however, with the padawan waking up in a med-center on corellia in 3 aby.

lightsaberless, her identity unclear, she took the chance to start over. eldra avoided the growing rebellion & any news of the jedi reborn through luke skywalker, instead using her force-given abilities to become a successful bounty hunter.

building herself a new lightsaber in 5 aby, after the official defeat of the empire meant relaxed security on ilum, eldra still did not seek out the new republic or the jedi order, reforming from the results of the same rift that had brought her back. after two years of freedom, returning to those restrictions no longer held much appeal.

lavender lightsaber & blaster at her side, eldra takes bounties whenever she can, using four years in this new galaxy & force powers to bring in targets for the highest bidder. she avoids the new republic & remaining empire as best she can, but does not - and cannot - resist the pull of credits when they call. if anyone on either side asks about the silver cylinder hanging at her hip, well - she got it from the black market.