𝑯𝑬𝑹 𝑽𝑶𝑰𝑪𝑬 ~Kix~

𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓹𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓣𝔀𝓮𝓷𝓽𝔂 𝓕𝓲𝓿𝓮

"So you're leaving tomorrow?" Cosette asked as she walked alongside Hardcase on the shore of Atla's mighty sea. Hardcase nodded as he walked with her. "Yeah." He replied. "We're soldiers, gotta get back to the war." He added. "I see." Cosette muttered. "You will be missed on Atla, I can assure you of that. All of you will." "You sure are pretty." Hardcase suddenly blurted out in the middle of their conversation. Cosette raised a brow as she looked at him. "What did you say?" "I said you're pretty." He replied flatly. "At least I think you are." "That's very kind of you, Hardcase." Cosette said, dismissing his comment. Hardcase stopped in his tracks and looked down at her. "You don't believe me, do you?" Cosette did not respond. All her life Cosette had been referred to as the messy sister, the one who was constantly in trouble, the one to always be the harbinger of chaos. No one had complimented her with such boldness before. "Well you are, miss Cosette." Hardcase spoke. "You are very pretty to me." Cosette shook her head. "No I am not." She uttered, stepping back. "I am trouble. That's what everyone thinks of me, at least." "Not me." Hardcase continued. "My brothers all think I'm trouble too. I would know trouble if I saw it, but in you all I see is beauty." Cosette tried not to blush and failed miserably. Her cheeks began to heat up underneath the dusting of freckles on her cheeks. "Race you to the ocean." Cosette suddenly prompted with a small grin on her face, changing the subject but even still wanting to spend time with the man who complimented her the way no one ever had before. Hardcase smirked. "You're on, Princess."

"Ah, princess Courtney." Prince Finnian spoke as he passed the woman in the hallway of the castle. "Might I speak with you for a moment?" He asked but Courtney kept her nose held high. "I don't believe there is anything worth saying to one another between us, Mister Finnian." Courtney replied with a tone sharp enough to cut through diamonds. "Oh I believe we do." Finnian replied as he latched a hand onto Courtney's arm, pulling her along with him. "Unhand me!" Courtney hissed but Finnian did not. "I have already told you, based on the Queen's decree I will no longer marry you." She added but Finnian did not seem convinced. "I will marry you Courtney." He stated harshly. "No you wont." Courtney replied. "I will personally see to it that it does not happen, Mister Finnian. Now if you would please just let me go before I slap you across the face once more." "You will marry me, Courtney, or Agamar will announce war with Atla." Courtney froze. "You can't be serious." "Oh but I am." Finnian replied. "And with rumors circulating of Atla's joining the Republic why, it is only a matter of time before a Seperatist system like Agamar launches an attack on the planet." He added, a wicked grin blooming on his lips. "But if you were to marry me, an alliance would be formed, even if Atla would join the republic, it would be safe from Agamar and most other Seperatist systems due to the alliance." His words made sense, but Courtney still did not like what he was saying. "And if I refuse?" "Then Agamar will have no other choice then to see your actions as a formal declaration of war and attack your home swiftly upon my arriaval."

"Pst! Cal!" Cosette whispered to the mute princess as she caught up with her after their morning lesson. "I have something I wanted to talk to you about." Calypso raised a brow as she looked at the elder sister. "What do you think about going to Coruscant?" Calypso froze. Coruscant? The Coruscant? Her sister couldn't be serious. "What are you talking about?" Calypso persisted and her sister grinned. "I'm talking about sneaking onto Caroline and Courtney's ship that's heading for the Galatic Senate in the morning. Wouldn't you like to see more of the Galaxy rather then just hearing about it on our lessons?" Cosette prompted and Calypso thought about it for a moment. She could finally see all the things Kix had told her about, only there would be one problem. He wouldn't be with her. He had told her already that he and his brothers were to be stationed at Umbara to try to win over the planet for the Republic. But he would have to come back to Coruscant eventually and there was no telling how long Caroline would be there. Finally Calypso nodded and Cosette's grin widened. "Alright!" She threw her arms around Calypso. "I knew you were my favorite sister!"

Cosette could hardly contain her excitement for the rest of the day. Just like Calypso and the rest of her sisters, Cosette had never been allowed to leave the planet of Atla. So even if sneaking away was a risk she was willing to take it, as always. Cosette had waited for this opportunity for a long long time. A chance to see finally what was beyond the stars she could see at night and the ones she was forced to study for her astronomy lessons with her sisters. She wanted to tell Hardcase but she remembered he and the rest of the 501st were heading straight into the field after leaving Atla. Their next mission was Umbara, a place Cosette had never heard of until Hardcase mentioned it to her while he walked her back to the palace after spending the early morning with her. However, she supposed she would simply surprise her new friend with her presence when he returned from the mission. She would be there to greet him, the perfect surprise after a long mission. She could hardly wait.