A Bar Thread. (Everyone Welcome!)

[Darth Ophidia]

Starting a family, leaving a legacy, some aspired to those things, but the only legacy Ophidia longed to leave behind was a rumour and a successful apprentice. She had no interest in copulating, nor in love. While she felt attachment, she had never felt romantic or even especially attracted to anyone. Male, female, Rattataki or even Zeltrons had only entranced her on a physical level, at best.

A small smile spread across her lips when she imagined the Sith Lord who had taught her, pitted her against monsters, trapped her in a tomb, and poisoned her to test her strength, pick up women and get rejected. She could not imagine him actually seducing anyone, mostly because she could see the care he held for his daughter, Asajj. Who was, incidentally, Ophidia's apprentice. It was strange how the threads of people's lives spanned and intertwined in such intricate manners. Last time Joshua met Krest, it was in a bar. Now, he was talking to Krest's apprentice in a similar place. Perhaps [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] simply spent too much time in bars.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Well, sounds like he wouldn't be taking her as a date to the next Jedi Order ball anytime soon. Not that he'd be going anyway - They didn't like him very much, and the punch always tasted funny anyway. It was true, though. He really did spend too much time in bars. It was a good source of information, meeting interesting people, and having a good drink or two. And the best part? The next time he saw Krest, which wasn't long after this meeting in particular... It indeed was in a bar.

He could totally imagine Krest getting shot down by a woman at a bar.

By her silence, he could tell she probably wasn't going to address the subject any further. He smiled faintly, gingerly sipping his drink and looking to see if the other guy had come to join them just yet. He had no clue where he'd gone, or if he was coming back, but it was very likely that the Sith girl had likely scared him off. And the other patrons too. Many of the patrons from the fight had disappeared at this point. He couldn't blame them, she was scary, albeit pretty at the same time. A shame she was a Sith and would likely rather kill him then go see a movie. That thought made him almost laugh, though the faint traces of a smirk could be seen on his lips from that.

So he decided to change the subject. "And what brings a 'fair' maiden like yourself out here?" He would ask, chuckling amusedly. He didn't think cold blooded killers drank, you'd think it'd dull their senses so they couldn't slice out the throat correctly.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Sometimes, even cold blooded killers had off-time. Vacation so to speak. Ophidia's last vacation to Gratos ended with three fractured ribs, a nasty stab in the gut, a near drowning and hypothermia. Therefore she had chosen to take her next time off somewhere a little more populated. As for why she was drinking, she got bored. Perhaps deep down she wanted to see if she could neutralise the alcohol with her mind, or perhaps find some sort of a challenge when her senses were dulled.

"Vacation. I figured I would go see some sights and had to make a pit-stop due to some unexpected starship issues. My quarters became too dull, so I went for a walk. I got thirsty so I ended up in this bar."

Raising her glass, she took another sip and looked at the Jedi in front of her. She was all too accustomed to people leaving when she established herself somewhere. It was a natural consequence of her affiliation's bad reputation, she presumed.

"And you? Waiting for lost friends to return?"

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He would have imagined that cold blooded killers spent their vacations bloodletting Ewoks on Endor or something, not drinking in bars. But everyone has their thing.

"Let me guess" He began, with a small smirk crossing his lips. "First a couple of bums tried to charge more expensive then the norm docking fees, then a couple of Rodians came over and stated that an inspection needed to be done?" He inquired. "Said to come back later because they have to examine your ship for anything that could threaten blah blah blah, yadda yadda?" He added. "Just saying, the rodians aren't real inspectors. They're thieves. Luckily, they're not very good ones. I left my ship doors closed, happened to come back after grabbing a coffee to see what they were doing. They had bags and were trying to break into the ship. I just kind of casually leaned against the entrance and watched because I knew that if they got in, I have two droids in there that would instantly register them as threats and kill them. They couldn't even get the doors open, and then they ran when the authorities came around. It was actually kind of hilarious to watch" He told, laughing a bit. "You don't have to worry any if it was them, though. They're too amateur to get into your ship, and by the time they'd manage to do anything, the authorities probably scared them off" He would add amusedly.

He raised his glass and took another sip. He didn't really care that much that she was a Sith, no need to run. She wasn't in his way, and he wasn't in hers.

"Lost friends? Any friends I had either aren't around anymore, or they cut most ties with me after I left the Order, unless they want something. You can trust them as much as.... Well, as much as you could trust your fellow Sith not to stab you in the back the moment you seem like you could be taken advantage of" He remarked with a shrug. "Truthfully, I do this often. The bar thing, I mean. There's information to be found, people to meet, and generally I leave with a decent lead on something. Not always, but I hardly leave unsatisfied" He added, chuckling. "At the very least, a good drink is always nice"

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

Ophidia raised the portion of her face that would contain an eyebrow as the Jedi explained the exact situation she had been in. For a moment she looked toward the door wondering whether or not she should get there. If the thieves actually got inside her Fury, they would find some very nasty surprises and were unlikely to walk out of there alive. She was not really fearing for their lives as much as she was worried her DHK guardian would go berserk in the docks and shoot down a few more than were necessary. The authorities would not enjoy that.

"I sure hope you're right. Otherwise, they may find a sudden turn in their careers. My chauffeur is a good pilot, but he lacks restraint in terms of apprehending intruders."

In the One Sith, there was one thing she could always count on: People would stab her in the back given the chance. It gave her a strange assurance, the ones who were most openly hostile were the ones she trusted the most, because she knew where she had them. Bars were indeed good for information, she had caught many tidbits of worthwhile information in places like these, but she preferred putting ears in the bars without being there herself. Smiling wryly, she raised her glass in a sort of toast.

"To bad friends and good information then."

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Well, by the looks of it, she'd been in the exact situation he'd been in. So those Rodians were still running around, huh? He hoped the law had gotten them by now. They weren't dangerous or anything, but they were certainly a nuisance. He was heavily considering heading back to the spaceport soon, since due to the dangerous element in this area, and I don't mean just a Sith in the midst, he probably wasn't going to get drunk off his ass and he'd had his fill for the most part in this bar since most around him now knew he was a Jedi and wouldn't be spilling anything anytime soon. The only thing really keeping him here for the moment was the good drinks and entertaining company.

It didn't seem to matter, Jedi or Sith... You'd still get backstabbed either way. The Sith just did it more often, while the Jedi did it more... Politically. Unless your name is Daella Apparine, although she was a Sith in disguise anyway. Not like she hid it very well though. But his and Carn's attempt to get her booted off council and investigated was foiled by everyone else being blind idiots, and they paid for it long after Joshua was gone when she showed her true colors. Good job, guys. Good job.

Alas... In a way he envied her for that. At least with the Sith, you knew your "friends" would backstab you. Of course, with how much he trusted people now... It wasn't much different to him, so perhaps he didn't need to envy her whatsoever. He was on his guard nevertheless after the incident on his last day as Grandmaster. His friends always stabbed him in the back, he found... Just like Sith friends did.

He smiled faintly and raised his glass. "To bad friends and good information" He repeated before taking a drink.

He was a working man, he preferred to just go to the bars himself instead of planting ears... The plants could be bought, or do it wrong. If you want something done right, you do it yourself.

"So hey" He began. "I was thinking of heading back to the spaceport after I was done here to see if those two goons were still hanging around and hadn't been caught yet... Thought maybe I'd scare them out of the place, make sure they stop being an annoyance to people docking permanently. Wanna come?" He asked. He doubted she'd want to, long shot, but it was worth asking. "Could be fun to scare them away considering the annoyances they caused" He remarked, a devious grin starting to cross his lips.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

A wide smile spread across her lips at his proposition of scaring away the thieves in the Spaceport. Who better to take with him to scare them away than a Sith? A flicker of her sabre would in all likelihood rout them. Even without igniting her blade, she could infuse their minds with such terror they would never set foot in a spaceport again. Perhaps that was not what [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] was imagining, but it was the first thought to pop up in Ophidia.

"I would love to chase them off. However, I cannot guarantee their safety. If they give me reason, I will end them."

While she did not necessarily thirst for blood and long for senseless destruction, she did take a sincere joy in it. And when opposed she had no qualms with exacting a swift and merciless judgement. Could the Jedi truly work alongside such a mentality? It remained to be seen, and what an interesting sight it could turn out to be.

Ophidia gulped down the rest of her drink and set the glass down on the table. She could feel its effect, but was still in control of her senses. Which meant, she had just enough.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

A similar wide smile crossed his lips when - to his surprise, she seemed thrilled about the idea! Well, this was a pleasant surprise indeed. And it was true, if you were going to take ANYONE with you to scare someone, it was a Sith. Especially one who seemed as scary to others as this one was. This was going to be perfect! Oh man, he had to start planning, thinking up how to scare the poor thieves. They wouldn't see it coming.

"That's fine with me" He remarked with a casual shrug. If they actually gave them a reason for violence, he wouldn't fault her one bit for killing them. Once it was out of their hands, it was out of their hands after all. No reason to stop her. And so, the Jedi Master would gulp down the rest of his drink and set it down. He hadn't had too many just yet, so he was clear headed enough to do just fine.

As he'd already paid for their drinks, he would smile over at her, an almost excited glint in his eye. He was definitely looking forward to this little scare. "So, shall we get going? If you have anything in mind for scaring the idiots, we can discuss it on the way there" He would inquire.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

"I say we do."

She stood up gracefully and brushed her clothes before picking her helmet from the table. As she placed the beskar headgear in the elbow of her left arm, she let her fingers briefly traced the marks of lightsabres, vibroblades and blasters that had threatened to mar her face, if not claim her life. If not for the piece of protection she held under her arm, she would have looked rather less attractive. Which indeed was an amusing thought.

With a nod of her head and a swipe of her right hand, she gestured for Joshua to take the lead out of the cantina. She would follow him to the docks, meanwhile her presence in the force slowly shrunk back to that of a non force user. Once more, she appeared as though she was just a merc, possibly a mandalorian with an edgy haircut.

"As for ideas. I could simply instil them with terror through the Force. Their minds should be pliable like mud on a rainy day. Possibly I could take control of their bodies, have them beat themselves up. There is a universe of possibilities for one who is willing to take the step."

Was she trying to turn him? No, she was simply remarking on the array of fear-inducing abilities one gained by dabbling in the Dark Side. Then again, if they only flashed their sabres, the thieves were most likely eager to turn tail and run.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The young man would give a curt nod once she seemed about ready to head out and get on with their evil plans for shenanigans ​little idea. He would crack his neck, stretching his shoulders, just in general getting himself out of relaxation mode and into "Just do it" mode. Or movement mode. Whatever you wanna call it. He would gently fold his robes before pressing a button on his datapad, causing them to disappear into the datapad. One of the newer models, by the looks of it. It was hot out enough as it was and the action from earlier had upped his body temperature quite a bit. So there he was, black leather jacket, despite that not helping matters much, a dark blue t-shirt under the jacket, pants, armored boots, and his lightsaber on his belt. Besides his warriors build, he didn't look much like a Jedi dressed like this, if not for the lightsaber hanging on his belt. A Jedi in street clothes, you didn't see that every day. But you didn't see a Jedi who was so.... Free, like him either.

Of course, it wasn't long before the lightsaber disappeared either. While he'd decided to forgo the robes for the time being, due to the conditions, his lightsaber had at some point during their walk disappeared into a deeper pocket of the jacket, out of sight. But certainly not out of his mind. He knew exactly where it was, and he could draw at anytime.

His scars, of course... He'd been lucky enough, like her, to go without them on his face. His body though... Well, it hadn't been so lucky. He would gingerly agree to her motion without a word, a simple nod of his head, and take the lead. He knew where the spaceport was, of course. But it would be quite funny, he realized, as they walked, how peculiar a sight this must be if anyone here knew who they were. A Jedi and a Sith, one in full street clothing, walking down a street together. Not at one another's throats, not going at each other with lightsabers. No force choking, or any other choking for that matter. Not even a hint of disdain or malice. It was not something Joshua wasn't used to, of course. But he was sure even Saorise, bless her soul, would have gotten a laugh out of this. Force, he had to admit he missed her. Funny, how much a Jedi could miss a Sith, former Empire or not. He still hadn't forgotten those nights, even if the Order had wanted him to.

They both seemed to have the same idea in lowering their force presence to nothing but a simple NFU to anyone around them. Nobody, at least anyone who didn't know them, would suspect a thing. He listened, as his odd new "companion" would begin to talk about ideas. And they were.... Peculiar ones at that.

"As for ideas. I could simply instil them with terror through the Force. Their minds should be pliable like mud on a rainy day. Possibly I could take control of their bodies, have them beat themselves up. There is a universe of possibilities for one who is willing to take the step."

Well, that had certainly escalated quickly. She was a... Creative one, wasn't she? He couldn't help but laugh. Yes - laugh. Laugh at the Sith talking about using the Force to make this little scaring off thing more painful for the victims then intended.

"Hmmm...." He began, scratching his beard as he listened. "Those are certainly... Ideas. But perhaps something we can both participate in?" He would remark with a chuckle. "You can't have ALL the fun, after all, dear. What fun would it be to just watch you torment them? As for ideas on my end... Well, I'm more the type to put on an act myself. Something convincing enough to terrify them without physically harming them or even having to use the Force. We can use it if you wish, sure, but it'd be a waste unless you know of something REALLY good" He remarked, trying to think of specifics.

"We could confront them, sure, feign ignorance at first maybe about knowing that they were thieves... But we'd need to think of something fun to add to that. Something to keep it spicy. Hell, if you're still feeling violent, maybe something convincing enough that they'll attack first. Then you can do what you want" He suggested, laughing. He wasn't a fan of striking first in this situation... But if they didn't give them much of a choice, he couldn't really stop the girl, could he?

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Darth Ophidia]

He probably couldn't. She was a person who approved of pre-emptive strikes, especially against scum. When it came to plans like these, she liked to wing it. So much of her time was spent adhering to things that were strictly timed and estimated. Be at the place with the thing at the time, shoot the right person and get to the other place for extraction was about as simple as she went. Some of her missions had staggering foreground work. Like the coup of Glee Anselm. She smiled a bit at the memory, a smile that did not really reveal her thoughts. Yet, it was a clear memory-smile.

"I say we wing it. Walk up and confront them. Feigning ignorance seems to be the way. I'll try not to take them all on my own"

She gave him a wry wink as she made sure her lightsabre was tucked out of sight. She would rather not have it pop out and reveal her as a very dubious "Jedi". Or perhaps they would take the two of them for Sith? Joshua did not have the Sithy look. Even if he had been an acolyte, he was not broody, arrogant, or angry enough by far. She was indeed excited about seeing how this would turn out.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"I can dig that. Might as well wing it, feign ignorance or play coy, maybe toy with them for a bit before really scaring them" He spoke, chuckling just a tad as he looked over at her with a playful little smile all of a sudden. "And... Do try not to, dear, you can't have ALL the fun, you know" Joshua would tease, playfully nudging the Sith. A gentle nudge, of course, nothing that might be hard enough to ruffle any feathers. Ideas of how they could play this began running through his head. Did he play coy and then slowly pretend he had begun to suspect them? Maybe when he did, he would use the likely angry nature of his "associate" to scare them somehow, play around a little, and at some point maybe lower the boom... Hmmm....

But it wouldn't take them long to plan before walking down the hall toward the docking bay was two very familiar folks. Joshua and Ophidia would both recognize them as the same folks that had hailed them separately when they had arrived on the planet. The same two folks who Josh had caught trying to break into his ship afterword. "Inspections".... Yeah right.

Joshua would point out the two toward her, leaning to the side to whisper gently into her ear. "That's them, right?" Joshua would whisper, motioning toward them once again. If she confirmed they were, then he'd simply smile and motion for her to make the first move. While she couldn't have all the fun, he didn't mind letting her start off their bout of fun. He just hoped she had some entertaining ideas.

[member="Darth Ophidia"]

 

[Tugoro Taidarious]

Unfortunately for the mischievous duo, it seemed that a new challenger had joined in on their little game. Not that he was aware of it in the slightest, it was simply that Tugoro had been watching the would-be ship thief for quite sometime. The incident [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] had experienced with the two goons had happened before the Knight's arrival, for the young Jedi had only spotted one of the two in the act red handed. Of course, he had chosen to keep his knowing a secret, preferring to use the element of surprise against his foes. After stealthily exiting the hangar bay, Tugoro had decided to stash himself in a storage closet, using his abilities in the force to keep alert and on watch. The young man was dressed in his casual attire, an outfit reminiscent of your everyday spacer at the most. A brown leather jacket, boots, and beige pants. Bland, but that was the least of the Jedi's concerns. Sort of. At the moment, he was focused on the vibrations traveling through the hallway, given off specifically by the footsteps of two approaching goons that thought they could mess with his poodoo.

The Knight's Aleph starfighter was by far was of his most prized possessions, and he went to great lengths in order to secure it's safety. Tugoro was a lot more selfish than your average Jedi. The two thieves had passed the youth's position at this point, however Tugoro was only interested in the one that had touched his craft. He hadn't caught the other guy doing anything, so he didn't see the need to do anything. Figuring it was time to come out of the closet, the Knight would step forward, pivoting on his heel as he pushed off the wall and entered the corridor. The youth's timing had been far more precise than he had thought, for the suspect he was after had literally -just- stepped passed his location. They didn't seem to be talking to each other, for they were rather intent on reaching their next destination. Probably the next hangar bay, but hopefully Tugoro would make them think twice. Focusing briefly, the Jedi would begin to call upon his vast reserves of force energy, cloaking his body in a transparent aura that enhanced his speed greatly.

The untrained eye would have no luck in tracking Tugoro's movements, for he was incredibly fast when he wanted to be. Moving silently as the Dark Man had taught him to, the brown haired lad would easily sneak up on the thief, wrapping a hand around his mouth before forcibly pulling him away from his companion and into the closet. This all happened quite fast, and the only people to likely realize what had happened right away were [member="Darth Ophidia"] and her unconventional Jedi friend. Having little desire to instill fear or anything of the like, Tugoro would simply lift his arm, swinging downwards in a powerful karate-like chop to his foes neck. The man would fall to the ground, knocked cleanly unconscious. Hoisting the man's limp body onto his shoulder, the Knight would exit the storage closet once more, casually walking down the hallway towards another pair. They seemed like a nice couple, and so Tugoro smiled to them as he attempted to walk away.