Ask Fly On The Wall

[Cheriss Ktrame]

This time when Bel extended his hand, Cheriss was too distracted to think about whether or not to take it. She would let him help her up before she realized what she’d done, but she gave him a nod of thanks nonetheless. What is wrong with me?

Bel’s voice then seemed to come out of nowhere. “Nothing!” she snapped, her expression livid before she quickly calmed herself down when she remembered that Avock was still watching. “It’s nothing.”

She moved forward. The stun bolt’s effects had mostly worn off by now, but a small limp was still evident when she walked. Karking idiots. She glared at the men on the ground, wondering where in the world they were supposed to put them when Avock’s voice came from his office.

“Don’t worry about them! Kill those other snakes before they have a chance to strike! I’ll take care of these ones.” For a moment, she wished she could go back and kill him instead. But if she did, her research would be put to a halt… and Kayden wouldn’t be pleased either. It was best not to dwell on it.

“Any idea where the warehouse is?” she asked Bel, changing the subject as the elevator door opened again. “From what it sounds like it’s likely nearby.”

@Charles

 

[Bel]

Bel winced slightly after Cheriss snapped at him- though he should've expected nothing less. He kept his face and emotions blank, partly because he didn't want his concern to...well, concern her further, and also because he was trying to focus. Avock obviously wasn't the choice Cheriss wished she had made. At first glance, everything seemed simple, but the further you read, the more grotesque things became.

"No, actually. I have no idea where they could be." Bel explained flatly. "I was planning on kidnapping Avock and taking him a desolate warehouse. I guess we'll have to improvise." He tried smiling again, hoping that maybe if he seemed relaxed, she'd relax too. When the elevator door opened, he stopped, refusing to step inside. "Cheriss..." The Champion had tried switching the subject, which almost worked. They didn't have to weed these rats out- Avock was still in the other room. The unconscious men on the ground were unarmed, so they wouldn't have a fair fight- Also, they're unconscious.

"What do you want to worry about?" He didn't dare reach for her hand again. She obviously hated that maneuver, so instead he waited patiently for her answer. "And please keep the snark and sass to a minimum, please. I have feelings, too, you know."

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Improvise. She hated having to improvise, or anything unplanned or unordered. How many things could go wrong? Even when there was a plan, half the time it wouldn’t work out. Then Bel said something about his feelings, and she couldn’t help a slight frown from appearing on her face. That was the last thing on her mind… but he was an ally, and as much as she hated to admit it, he had been invaluable so far.

“If you say so.” She stepped forward into the elevator before turning around. “I want to worry about getting those products. There’s plenty riding on them and I don’t want to take chances.” She turned to Bel, meeting his gaze evenly as she clasped her hands behind her back. “Don’t let your personal feelings get in the way. We do what we have to.” It wasn’t only directed at him, and she had to pause for a second, looking away for a moment before her gaze returned to the agent.

“We can deal with Avock later. Are you coming?” She wouldn’t force him to. It would likely get messy, and while she had the feeling that Bel wouldn’t mind getting his hands dirty, this was… different. No, it’s not. They’re in the way, and they’re going to get out. She steeled her expression as she waited for his answer.

@Charles

 

[Bel]

Before the elevator closed on him, Bel snatched one of the mercenary's comlink and hooked it up to his signal tracer. It was going to be hard to deviate the multiple sources coming through it's database, but it was worth a shot. Even if all you had was a guess, it was better than walking blind. Cheriss was right in her statement- even if she sounded like a Jedi -and Bel made a silent promise to keep things more professional.

"...Alright...I've got five signals so far. One from the bar we were just in, one from speeder-refuel station..." The other three were taking longer to pinpoint than Bel would've liked. "The other three are going to take time." He added with a disappointed sigh. Part of the problem that came with doing these kinds of jobs was that they never seemed to end. What would've happened if the duo had gone with the Nightbrother's original plan? Well, the more Bel thought about it, the worse it got. They would've had no idea about the assassination plot, nor the organization and the threat it posed- And I don't think I would've met the better parts of her.

Once they reached the bottom floor, another one of the signals popped up. But...it was coming from the fifth floor where Cheriss had killed the apparent leader. Okay, a speeder station and a bar seem likely, but wouldn't have they recognized us if they were in the bar before we left? There were plenty of people, sure, but I would've noticed if someone was tailing us. And that made his next decision a breeze.

"I think we should start with the refuel station. If it's a dead beat, I'll buy you a drink." Bel smirked.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss gave Bel a nod when he came into the elevator. He’d even managed to get the locations of two of the thugs, and despite there being three more that would take a little bit, the tw they had to start was much better of a lead than she could have hoped to get from Avock.

“Nice work,” she said, giving him a brief smile as they got down to the ground floor. “Refuel station it is— and I might just take you up on that.” The front desk appeared to be empty at first, but it was only when she walked out of the elevator that she noticed the clerk on the ground underneath it. He didn’t appear to be dead, however, just knocked out by a stun bolt. He’d probably be awake by the time she and Bel came back… and she couldn’t have him seeing them twice and potentially associating them with the attackers. With a slight motion of her hand, she heard a crunch. And that was one witness taken care of. Avock would get rid of the others or risk even more of those thugs coming after him.

Once they were out of the building and close to the fueling station, Cheriss would stop about a block away to get a look at it. A couple beings were refueling their speeders, but none looked like the type to want to assassinate a CEO. But, glancing at the signal tracer, one of them was definitely here. Then her gaze flicked to the mini shop at the side before going back to Bel.

“They could be in there. We can take a look.”

@Charles

 

[Bel]

"You take the front door. I'll take the back." Bel said before pocketing the signal tracer. Cheriss had shown her skills over the more mental aspects of the Force, so hopefully should get some of the employees to speak or something. Meanwhile, Bel would be looking for evidence of any allegiance to the mercenary gang. The Zabrak was almost around the corner of the shop when someone from behind caught his attention.

"Bella, is that you? You sly dog! Where've yuh been?" A Togrutan woman didn't wait a second to embrace Bel, which almost toppled him over. "Hmph!...Hey, Mi'kel. Just doing work for a friend." Mi'kel was another citizen he had helped under his P.I. guise. He found her sister before she was trafficked off world. Mi'kel kinda had a thing for the Nightbrother ever since. "Oh! Right, right- for who? Is there anything I can do to help?" Mi'kel got off of Bel to let him breath, but her beautiful smile still remained. "Uh... I don't know, Mia. "

"Oh, c'mon, Bella! I helped plenty finding Azura." She wasn't wrong either. Mi'kel proved to be a lot more resourceful than one might've expected. "Oh, alright- but you gotta pay attention-" "-To everything you do and say. I know, Bella." The ISB Agent never really liked the nickname she had given him, but apparently she found out, because she wouldn't stop using it. It was actually starting to grow on him, even if it was a little embarrassing. He just hoped Cheriss didn't hold this against him.

He motioned for her to follow him down the alley that led to one of the employee back doors. Hopefully, Cheriss was already inside.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss nodded curtly at Bel’s proposal. “See you in the middle, then.” She would walk with him until the front entrance, and just as she was about to open the door, she heard someone on the other side of the corner refer to the Zabrak as Bella. Though she would have rolled her eyes at the silly nickname, she couldn’t help wondering if this was some sort of trap. Was Bel leading her here on purpose? Who was this other woman? An agent of his? Whoever she was, the Sith wouldn’t let her get in the way.

Making her way inside, she saw a man chatting with the clerk in excited whispers. They were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn’t even notice her entering the room. Curious to what they were talking about, Cheriss would pretend to look at the products while they talked.

“He has to be by now. I haven’t heard back yet, but they’re probably just cleaning up. Mikel never leaves a job unfinished.” His voice was smug.

“I wouldn’t be so sure. It ain’t easy getting to a CEO, and you can’t keep this kinda thing covered up for long. Someone’s gonna find out.”

“Who cares? It’s the end result that matters. Stubborn old CEO goes, new one comes in, we show ‘im who’s boss, and there’s the medicine.” That’s our man. Cheriss moved closer, but this time she didn’t go unnoticed. The clerk’s eyes shot up just then, and he looked over the man’s shoulder at her.

“May… I help you, miss?” Might as well be direct.

“Actually, you can. I’m looking for information on the potential attackers of a CEO named Solan Avock. Did you have something to share?” She looked at the man who’d been speaking earlier, and his face turned pale. Come on. One of you say it.

@Charles

 

[Bel]

It was actually pretty easy sneaking into through the back. Bel was beginning to think that these idiots really just got lucky with their plot to get to the CEO. Mi'kel's assistance probably wasn't even going to be needed, but the woman probably wasn't going to leave Bel alone and it might be nice to have an extra set of hands. Besides, Bel tried to keep his smirk subtle. Live bait is always good bait.

Finding the plans to get the CEO was easy, and so was snapping a quick picture. Meanwhile, Mi'kel kept a look out from one of the rafters, making sure Bel was safe. Worst case scenario, Bel get's caught, uses the dumb 'Look over there' trick while actually pointing at Mi'kel as she snaps a picture with her flash on. It was a good backup plan and he was lucky the togrutan thought so, too. Some people might not have liked being bait, but those people wouldn't have to worry about it.

"We've got it." Bel spoke into his comlink as he exited through the back door with Mi'kel. "I'll be around the corner if you need help."

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

The evidence was practically laid out right in front of them, and Cheriss would wait as the man struggled to explain himself.

“Erm, no.” The clerk glared at the man, but didn’t say anything. “Why do you want to know?” Someone’s getting defensive. She saw him reaching for his blaster, a common accessory in this part of town, but she didn’t flinch.

“What about you?” Maybe the clerk would provide a better answer. “There are rewards for information.” The conflict in his eyes was evident as he looked between the man and the woman, but before he had a chance to speak a shot would be fired. A scream followed, and was promptly cut short when another quick burst of red light lit up the room. Cheriss hadn’t even moved.

“He’s not talking. I’m not talking. And neither will you.” The man, soon to be a wanted murderer, lifted his blaster shakily at her. But a twist of his arm and a jerk of the trigger as she extended her hand seemed to do the trick. A bolt went through his own brain. A murder-suicide? Combined with the plans that Bel found in the back of the room, there might have been a motive too.

“Copy.” Cheriss put her own commlink away as she too went out the back door, meeting up with Bel and the Togruta at the corner he’d mentioned.

“One down… a few more to go,” she said with a faint smile, though it was still wary as she got a good look at the woman beside him. “Although I am curious. Who’s this?”

@Charles

 

[Bel]

"I'm Mi'kel- is this the friend you've been helping, Bella? She's gorgeous!" Mia grabbed Bel by the arm and smiled gingerly at Cheriss. But, Bel shook his arm out of her grasp, he was fully aware of what she was trying to do. "She insisted that she come along. I apologize if this makes things harder for you." Bel belonged to no one. Or at least not to Mi'kel. I prefer the Champion, anyway. He mused.

"You can go home, now, Mi'kel." Bel said with a sigh before making his way to stand next to Cheriss, folding his arms. Mia flashed him a look of betrayal before smiling and taking her leave. "She's got attachment problems." Bel said once the Togruta was out of earshot. "She isn't my type, anyway." The Nightbrother flashed Cheriss a sly grin, "So, back to Avock we go?"

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Mi’kel? Wasn’t that the name the thug had brought up in that store? This Togruta didn’t look like one to be plotting against a CEO… but looks could be deceiving. Cheriss glared at the woman— flattery wasn’t going to work.

Fortunately, Bel seemed to catch on and the Togruta was soon gone.

“Are you certain it’s really attachment?” If the two were in a relationship, the champion was definitely not going to get in the way, but if it were some kind of trick to get the agent to potentially give information away, she felt obligated to intervene. And it wasn’t just for the Empire— her own plans would be at stake too. At Bel’s smile, she only looked back with a slightly raised eyebrow before moving on.

“Weren’t there other signals that you were tracking? We should get them first,” she suggested. “Then we won’t have to worry about them anymore.” Glancing at the device, it appeared that they’d moved, and were gathered at one specific location. Interesting.

“Do you want to check that out?”

@Charles

 

[Bel]

Bel pulled out the signal tracer, and sure enough, they were all moving towards...no...that couldn't be right. The apartment complex they seemed to swarm was the same complex that Mi'kel and her sister lived in. The Nightbrother furrowed his brow and sighed. This wasn't how he wanted today to go. Now it was the Zabrak's turn to feel immensely uncomfortable- but a job was a job, right? Right.

"Well...we have a heading." Bel still found himself smiling at Cheriss. Yes, this was going to sting, but at least he wouldn't be alone. Was Cheriss the good-company type? Well, it was nice for Bel, at least. The more he thought about her, the more at ease he felt, too, which was weird, right? 'Cause he had just barely met her, and now he'd do just about anything she asked. Even if it means disposing of an old friend.

It wouldn't take long for the pair to arrive at the apartment building where the signals all gathered. Usually, Bel would've been a gentlemen and let the women go in first, but that didn't seem so chivalrous right now. Bel drew his blaster pistol and kicked the front door down. He checked the first floor, clearing each room he stormed into.

"Clear!" Bel yelled for Cheriss as he kept an eye on the staircase. Something in the Force tugged at him, telling him the stairs were bad news. But why? He couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. Bel figured it was a simple ambush choke-hold and nothing more. Parkouring his way to the top from the outside was always an option...but did he have time for that? What if spent all of his energy just to get killed at the top? Maybe Cheriss had ideas...

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Cheriss could sense a change in Bel as he looked at the tracker, if she couldn’t see it too. Clearly there was more to this than he was letting on. But he soon smiled at her again, and if that wasn’t like him, she didn’t know what was.

She would follow him to the apartment, a pretty inconvenient location for something like this in her opinion. He seemed insistent on entering first, so she let him. Although as soon as he kicked down the door she had to blink twice.

“You just announced to everyone in the building that we’re here,” she said, crossing her arms as she followed him in. But like him, her eyes went instantly to the staircase. There was something there that made it feel different from anywhere else… traces of the Force. Her hand reached for her saber as she went closer.

“I think there’s—” Something clattered. Cheriss looked up. A metal grate came falling down, and if she hadn’t seen it earlier, she definitely would not have been able to catch it with the Force and send it flying into the wall.

“Someone there,” she finished, though she narrowed her eyes as she looked up the stairwell. There was no one she could see, and it was quiet too. A little too quiet for an apartment. She glanced briefly over at Bel before slowly beginning to make her way up the stairs to get a better look. If there was another Force user here, she wanted to get them out of the way before they caused bigger problems than just a piece of falling metal.

@Charles

 

[Bel]

"Hey, they don't how many of-" A metal grate was about to squish Bel like a bug, but Cheriss had knocked it aside with the Force. "Thank...thank you." He stuttered, trying to gather himself. Now he definitely needed to buy her a drink sometime. "I'm not surprised Mi'kel came up with this...but I don't want to kill her if we don't have to. She's a friend- or at least until we're finished here." Following Cheriss up the stairs made him feel more comfortable to say the least. He wasn't alone because he had her.

But, what was that feeling Bel got in his gut? Was it Azura? She was Mi'kel's Force sensitive sister, but the Agent was positive she wasn't even aware of it. Did she find out? And if she did...was she using the Dark Side? Of course, it was usually natural for one to attune with that side of the Force, but that presence wasn't just that of an Acolyte. It might have been more powerful than both Bel and Cheriss. Maybe she always knew... It was hard to think about, given how innocent Azura seemed. But now I have a job to do...I've gotta take action.

So far, the second level of the three-story complex was as empty as the first. Still, Bel had the feeling he was being watched. With a quick and subtle motion for Cheriss to be silent, Bel began checking the apartment doors. All of them were locked, unlike the ones beneath the pair. There had to be warm bodies in those rooms, probably stacked with blasters of all sorts. This was bad. Luckily, there weren't any cameras, but Cheriss and Bel would have to be quiet, or else they'd risk the entire apartment jumping them all at once.

"Maybe we should...try a different approach?" Bel whispered fairly quietly, hoping Cheriss had a better idea than storming their way through masses of thugs and mercenaries.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Unlike the first floor, they quickly found out that the doors here were locked. She didn’t need the Force to tell that whoever was behind them, were probably not beings who would help them willingly.

“Yes… they already know we’re here,” she said quietly, trying to work out what their options were. There was no way they could wipe out the entire apartment, and she didn’t know if these people were even guilty in the first place. But she did suspect one in particular, and that could be a place to start.

“You know where your Togruta friend lives, don’t you? Surely she’d have an idea of where they could be.” She tilted her head slightly. If it was the right Mikel, then they’d hit the jackpot. If not and the woman was really as foolish as she acted, she wouldn’t suspect a thing.

“You know her better than I do.” But does he?

@Charles

 

[Bel]

"She lives on the third floor, room C7." Bel replied. "Do you..." An idea popped into the Nightbrother's head. It was a little crazy and would probably earn him a glare from Cheriss, but it was worth it anyway. The chances of them getting ambushed weren't going down any time soon anyway. "Do you trust me?" But Bel would not wait for a response. He dropped his blaster on the ground and put both hands in the air.

"We surrender!!" He yelled, grinning and giggling a bit at himself. "C'mon, Mi'kel, I know you wouldn't just let me waltz in and grab your own plans and get away with it. This trap is pretty good, though, not gonna lie. How many people you got behind each door? Five? Ten? Twenty? I bet-"

"Alright, genius. You can shut up now." Came the familiar voice of a Togrutan who was escorted by armed enforcers as she made her way down the stairs. The apartment doors burst open and about thirty men exited each room. "We know what you did, Bella- How could you?!" Bel flinched and stopped smiling. "All this time I thought I knew you..."

"You still do...trust me, Mia. I...I don't feel great about it either-"

"Then why did you do it? Huh? Why not stop Avock when you had the chance? I know you know how far my reach is. I could've easily ran that business- but now it looks like a turf war! You and your meddling girlfriend..." Mi'kel folded her arms and glared at Cheriss before looking back at Bel to await his response. "I didn't think... I didn't think it was you. I knew you had friends, but I thought you would be more civilized." But the Agent wasn't sure he knew Mi'kel either. "Please...Mia...hear me out. We can still fix this- I want to make things right. If we go back to Avock now we can-" The Force violently wrapped itself around Bel's neck and began to squeeze, lifting him a few inches off the ground as he gasped for air.

"We can't listen to anymore of his lies, my sister." Another Togrutan began making her way down the stairs. It was Azura, and she felt about as powerful as Draugr himself. "I say we dispose of these two and slay that corporate devil with any of Bella's assistance." Bel, while choking on his own breath, looked at Mi'kel with desperate eyes. "Stop, Azura. If Bel and his side-chick took down my best men, then they can prove to be more useful for...us." Bel dropped to his knees and began taking heavy breaths as he was released from Azura's grip. But...there was something in Mia's eyes that said something that Bel would only be able to understand.

This wasn't a trap for Cheriss and Bel...this was a trap for Azura.

Suddenly, all of Mi'kel's men pointed their blasters at Azura, who only chuckled. Without saying a word, she began to coil herself with the Dark Side until her power manifested itself in a Sith Storm. It struck everyone on the second floor, ravaging Mia and her loyal warriors, but Bel activated his own lightsaber and absorbed most of the Sith Lightning that was directed towards him. Once the Storm was over, Bel activated the other end of his lightsaber and readied himself. Hopefully Cheriss decided to stay to see this one out.

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

“Trust you? Of course n—” But Bel had already made his move, making a dramatic show of surrendering to whoever was watching them. She could only play along, putting her arms up in the air too as the men burst out of the rooms and pointed their blasters at them. There were a lot more than she’d imagined. You better know what you’re doing, Bel. If he didn’t and things went even worse than they already were, she’d probably kill him herself.

The ensuing conversation between the Togruta(she knew that the woman was trouble!) and Bel was really nothing more than an exchange of emotion, but when Mi’kel referred to her as the Zabrak’s girlfriend, Cheriss could only glare back. Clearly she had no concept of the idea of colleagues.

Once again, Bel brought up going back to Avock and ending him there. Oh no we aren’t. She needed that man. When he began to choke, her first reaction was to look down at her hands. Though the thought to silence him had crossed her mind, she hadn’t actually done anything— and it was only then she saw the other Togruta who came down the steps and how the blasters turned to meet her. Interesting.

The champion could guess at Azura’s intent just before the lightning flashed. In a heartbeat she had out her lightsaber alongside Bel’s, concentrating on deflecting the electricity away from them. And, as annoyed with him as she was, the only way they were going to get out of this was if they worked together to take her down.

Channeling the Force, Cheriss would send a blast out up the stairs directly at Azura, aiming to knock her down. As the Togruta moved to block, she would use the time to leap up to the level she was on. However, just before her blade met Azura’s neck, she felt a sudden pressure blocking it. Bright yellow clashed with red, and the two sabers were locked.

“Bel! Now!” Even she didn’t know what that meant, but as crazy as she found most of his plans… they did seem to work for the most part. Hopefully he’d be able to pull one of those again this time.

@Charles

 

[Bel]

Cheriss, bless her being, had stood by Bel the entire time- where in the hell could anyone find a woman like this? Bel was lucky to have her by his side, even if she wished she was by someone else's. A slight smile spread across his face after he witnessed the Champion block the Togrutan's blade. It was quick and caught the she-devil off guard. Without hesitating, Bel lunged forward with his own red bladed saber like spear, and struck Azura through her chest.

Azura gasped, clutched her chest, and fell to her knees. For someone as powerful as she was, her pride led to her downfall.

After making sure the Togrutan breathed her last breath, Bel deactivated his own crimson blades and turned to Cheriss. Never had his heart pounded in his chest like it did right now- not out of adrenaline but of passion and admiration. The Agent lost his façade and let Cheriss sense what he felt. Yes, he was young, but very few had caught the Nightbrother's attention like this.

"Thank you, Champion Ktrame." Would be all he said. The rest of the surviving soldiers were slowly getting back to their feet along with Mi'kel. But instead of betrayal, the good sister smiled at both of the two. "Listen... I know... I know you need Avock... but something's gotta change. Promise me that both of you will make that change possible." From where Bel was standing, Mia shouldn't have been the one calling the shots, but Bel could sense the respect she had for the two. "We'll do what we can." And with that, Bel would turn to leave the complex alongside Cheriss. But, he would stop just before the stairs, "And, Mia... Sorry about your sister."

---

Making their way back to the corporate sector felt different around this time of night. No one was up. No one was trying to maim or kill the two Imperials. It felt good. The quiet was serene and the lights from the lamp posts wonderfully illuminated the way back to Avock's mean little empire of his own.

"Hey, uh, sorry about buggin' you," It didn't take a genius to figure out how badly Cheriss took the teasing and jokes. "Each client is different, so I'll remember to be more professional around you. But," Bel gave her his cheeky little smile again. "I can't help it sometimes. Pretty faces make me nervous."

@Sicadorito

 

[Cheriss Ktrame]

Taking advantage of the opening he had, Bel struck at just the right time so that Azura fell. When her knees buckled beneath her, Cheriss would switch off her blade and back away. But there was something else… another strange sensation in the Force that she hadn’t felt before, and it was coming from Bel. The way he was looking at her was nothing like how anyone had looked at her in the past, and it puzzled her. In the end though, she dismissed it as simple gratitude, and she gave him a nod in response.

As for change… she would see.

The streets of the corporate sector were, surprisingly, only dimly lit in the evening. It wasn’t difficult to see by any means, but it was less bright than she would have expected for an area like this on a planet specializing in trade. She was taken out of her thoughts on the lighting when Bel suddenly spoke again, saying that he would be more professional. Well, thank the Force for that.

His next comment, on the other hand, caused her to stifle a sigh. It was all she was, wasn’t she? A pretty face? The Hutt had said the same thing. So had the Togruta. Two Togrutas, actually, in addition to those gangsters on Corellia way back when. The strange thing was, this was one of the rare times that the person who said it actually meant it as a compliment.

“Don’t worry about it.” Bel had done his part of the job, and she had done hers. Whatever bugging there had been along the way was secondary, and now they just had to finish what they’d started.

“What do you plan to do after this is all done?” she asked as they continued down their way. They still had a fair bit to go, and she didn’t want to end up in an awkward silence. “Any ambitions? Goals?”

@Charles

 

[Bel]

"Uhm... I want to make my way up the Imperial food chain, if that makes sense." Bel, for some reason, was at a loss for words. Was it because he was ashamed of himself and the way his own people disregard him? He didn't want Cheriss to see what he saw in himself- a waste of space. There was so much work to be done to be welcomed back to his own Clan with open arms. The Nightbrother wanted his fellow kin to proud when they looked at him. A small part of Bel just wanted to explain it to the Champion, but the rest of his instincts told him to hold off on the daddy issues.

"I guess I want what we all want. To be respected for what I've accomplished, and all. I would like to one day be apart of the Imperial Council as a Warden one day, and then maybe I'll retire as one of Empre- er, I mean, Queen Anduril's personal guard." It wasn't known to many who Bel's true allegiance was for, but who would blame him? When Anduril was Empress, she had made the Empire something worth fighting for, or so Bel thought. They were a prosperous government with a growing regime because of her.

"What about you?" Bel returned the question. "What's your life plan looking like?"

@Sicadorito