Private A Jedi, a Chiss, and a Felon walk into a bar

[Kusana]

Ouch!

Kusana stepped back, rubbing her forehead. The reflection of her face in the steel bar ahead acted to give it a persona that mocked her as if to say "Watch where you're going." She made a small pouty face at herself before ducking underneath and walking through the pub entrance ahead. She needed a drink after last night.

So much for "grow as we go" eh old friend? She thought, placing a mug of cheap ale to her mouth and downing it much faster than she could handle. A coughing fit later, and she was back to looking down at her hip. Her robes, formerly a monument to the ancient Jedi order, were tattered and dirty. The lightsaber on her hip was damaged beyond repair, the hilt and the Kyber crystal inside rent in half by the blade of another.

"Will that be all, lady?" The bartender flipped a rag over his shoulder and leaned forward toward her. She was made uncomfortable and leaned back in response. "Uh, n-no. I'll have another." She didn't actually want another, but she had a few more credits and a few more hours before her flight out of this system would take off. The city planet was dense, huge, and overwhelming. Comparatively, the wilderness of an uncertain destination looked preferrable. Perhaps it was impulse, but she felt like she could belong on the road. A broken Jedi, she hardly felt safe anymore. Perhaps a life of constant danger in the outer rim? It was almost a suicide note, but she had one thought carrying her through it. Either I toughen up and survive, or I don't.

And with that thought, she set down her mug of ale and went to stand up, only stumbling a small amount before collapsing to the floor. The murmurs of other patrons commenting on the lightweight were enough to get her back on her feet, a blushing mess. That was when a particular face caught her eye, her attention drawn to it perhaps by chance, perhaps by circumstance, perhaps by the Force.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

Wearing: Obsidian-type Strike Armor​

CANTINA

The smoke billowed before his eyes.

A lifetime ago, such a simple act - taking a drag off a fine cigarra - would have gotten the snot slapped out of him. His lineage, his people, his homeworld...all were straight-edge. All expected duty and diligence to the last breath. All expected so much of the Echani. Thus, seven years ago, when the Southern Systems went belly-up? Home started calling. Var wasn't surprised that some modicum of effort had been made. He was one of the last of the Talon siblings standing, after all. And if he died? Their name died with it.

So, duty called, and Var weighed his options.

He could have went home, slicked back his hair, and been the good little heir that he was born to be. He could have taken a quiet Echani wife and raised dutiful Echani babies. But not a damn thing about that life appealed. Kneeling before some dusty Queen he didn't give a rats about? That wasn't exactly his definition of a good time. No. Var enjoyed being free. And while he lived in the South, he enjoyed being free.

Where from here, then?

A loaded question for sure. Sylvia Alvaro , had made up her mind weeks ago. What was left of the old Confederacy was moving again. They needed pilots and she wanted to fly. Done deal. But for him? A trip to the ass-end of the Galaxy? Was it enough? Var was lagging behind on Coruscant to mull it over. Slinking about dusty cantinas for work while he did. By now, a couple of weeks had passed since his last talk with home or Sylvia for that matter. Time was a blur, especially on these mean streets.

Speaking of, the current cantina was a nasty place. The stench clogged the nostrils the second one walked in. It was fortunate for the Echani that he had his cigarra - the smoke helped mask the offending odor. He sat in a booth adjacent to the bar, nursing a glass of chilled liquor. Nothing fancy, just a nice drink with a nice bite. That's when he heard the thud. Turning, his gaze found a fallen...Jedi? Immediately, the man's guard raised ever so slightly. He leaned in...and saw that the woman was in rough shape.

Compared to the "gilded guardians" he was accustomed to, her robes had gone through the ringer and some. Jedi had no business being down here, it was suicide. Even if Coruscant was the beating heart of their influence. It was at that moment that they made eye contact. Echani and Jedi. And in a rare moment of compassion, the man motioned for her to join him at the booth.

"Barkeep! Lemme get some water over here."

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

The tumble had certainly taken its toll on Kusana's tailbone. The ground, however, was as uncaring to her pain as it was cold. So, when she noticed the man she had felt the odd focus to was motioning for her to join him, she obliged. Slowly, and carefully to boot, but she did oblige.

As she rose herself off the floor, she almost felt a sense of hope. She wasn't sure where it came from. Perhaps she was hopeful this new face would give her a direction, or a purpose, or something to keep her going. Perhaps she was hopeful that the conversation would take her to some serene place as friendship. Or...No, let's not think those thoughts again.

One step at a time, she began to stumble her way toward the booth. She heard the man call for a water, Good idea. Sitting down in the booth, she met eyes with him once more before slowly lowering her head. "You have pretty eyes." Her voice was a bit muffled by the placement of her mouth into her elbow, her words a bit slurred. "My eyes do something weeiird..."

She rose her head again, took a deep breath in, letting the oxygen richen her blood, and with the aid of the alcohol her eyes deepened beyond their greenish-blue and began to redden.
"See? Weeeeiiiirrrdd....."

Perhaps a part of her that was still sober realized that she had just outed one of her secrets, because she almost immediately buried her face back down, hoping her interlocutor was as receiving of the Chiss as he was of random drunken bar patrons. And as the water arrived at her side of the table, she immediately began to drink from it in the hopes that she could sober up quickly enough. Being drunk was, to say the least, embarrassing for her.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

Wearing: Obsidian-type Strike Armor​

CANTINA

The woman couldn't hold her liquor.

It was said that first impressions were important - and the one left with the Echani was that the woman chose to live dangerously. Though Coruscant was the supposed cradle of democracy, its underbelly was unruly. Getting drunk off one's rocker in the lower levels was dangerous enough. Doing so, while wearing good guy clothes? That was asking for trouble. Thus, the Echani shook his head ever so slightly as she settled into the booth. You have pretty eyes. she said in greeting.

Var stifled a chuckle as best he could and turned his attention to the barkeep. The portly man brought over a pitcher and a pair of glasses. For his services, Var tossed over a few credits. "Much appreciated." he said, before filling one of the glasses. The beverage was set in front of the woman as she talked about her eyes. Doing...something weird? Var watched the display - her eyes flickered from green to red.

"That's a...neat trick..." he said.

Then, the Echani leaned in, lowering his voice so that only she could hear. "Listen Jedi, this ain't the place for your kind to get chitfaced. What're you thinking?"

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

The water was slow to sober Kusana but she was capable of bringing herself back from the brink. Especially so when she heard the words of caution uttered by the stranger. "Oh, don't worry, I'm no Jedi. Never was. I never finished my—...no matter. At any rate, I see what you mean." She said, gesturing with one finger around the room toward a few booths who were looking their way, staring their way even. "Unless you have a change of clothes, however—or the credits to buy some—I think I'm stuck in these." A hint of remorse flashed over her face as she reminded herself of the previous night's events.

She let out a small chuckle. "I don't know anything about you, but I've been running from..." She stopped to consider the consequences of sharing this information, before deciding to go out on a limb and trust this new face. Something she wasn't normally prone to do. Perhaps the Force was guiding her...or perhaps she was still chitfaced.

"I've been running from bounty hunters for about a year now. I recently hit rock bottom when a pair caught me off-guard and did this," she laid out her saber in its two halves on the booth table. "To my lightsaber. Pathetic right? I wasn't a Jedi before, but I'll never be one now. Don't even have a way to defend myself apart from the Force." It was clear from the look in her eyes—which were fading from red back to their green-blue hue—that she felt hopeless. It was almost as if she were silently screaming for help from anyone. Maybe that's why she decided to trust a stranger with such dangerous information about herself.

She realized she was rambling. The alcohol really had gotten to her. "Look, I'm sorry, I'll just go." She stood up to leave, hoping against hope that he would stop her and offer her salvation.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

Wearing: Obsidian-type Strike Armor​

CANTINA

I'm no Jedi. Never was.

This revelation, at the very least, would work in the woman's favor. The Echani was naturally distrustful of the supposed guardians of Light. But, if she was not an active part of their whole, he could rest a bit easier. "Don't have anything on me that'd do you any favors." he said, referring to a change of clothes. He didn't mention anything about credits - not yet at least. Var wasn't usually in the business of giving handouts, especially not to complete strangers.

But as he let the cool water race down his tongue, the woman chuckled. She shared what got her in this situation - bounty hunters. She was on the run. When Var set his glass down, his gaze then fell to the remains of her weapon: a broken lightsaber.

Look, I'm sorry, I'll just go.

In that moment, Var was reminded of the story his eldest sibling Srina Talon told. That on a rainy night, in the underbelly of this very rock, she too was running. That was the day that her Master brought her in from the rain. The Echani exhaled sharply. "Sit, before you get yourself killed."

"If you've got hunters on your tail...chit." he breathed, racking his brains. There was no better refuge for a Force wielder on the run than where Sylvia and his sister were located. No better place to figure one's self out. "I'm headed somewhere. Ass end of the Galaxy. It's safe - and there are people like you. Us."

His dominant hand waved over the remains of her shattered saber. The Force hummed beneath his grasp, telekinetically salvaging the crystal from the broken hilt. "But before I go out on a limb for you, I need to know the deets. Who are you, and why are they hunting you?"​

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

"But before I go out on a limb for you, I need to know the deets. Who are you, and why are they hunting you?"

Ah, the million credit question. Who was she? She had long wondered that herself, but she could start with the details of her upbringing and family. After all, that seemed to be in the spirit of the question.

"I am Kusana," she hesitated. "Well, I'm Sorku'sana'onagh, heiress to the Chiss merchant family Sorku. Don't be fooled, I don't have that wealth. I ran away with my master when I was young. Ever since, we...I...have been getting hunted by mercenaries hired by the people who want me dead so they can take the fortune, and bounty hunters out for my head for what I allegedly did to my master." She took a deep breath in. She said most of that in two breaths.

"So that's who I am. Sorku'sana'onagh, although I prefer Kusana." She drank some more water, clearly having sobered up a bit by now. "And...the ass-end of the galaxy sounds pretty nice right about now."

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

An heiress on the run.

The Echani quietly nodded as the Chiss before him answered his question. His fingers gripped the shattered pair that was the lightsaber crystal as he pondered. It was strange that the survivors of one of the Galaxy's recent tragedies would be so focused on hunting down an heiress. One would think they'd be focused on rebuilding. But, this was the reality Kusana found herself in. This was the mess Var had to think a way out of.

He reached for his water and mulled things over. His own experience navigating the underbelly of society had taught him many things. How to get into the business of hunting in the first place - and how to evade them. Prior to going straight with the fallen Confederacy, Var had been just as despicable as their surroundings. He had his fair share of being hunted under his belt.

"Alright Kusana, 'names Var." he began, rendering a curt nod. "And where I'm going, Hunters won't reach. Too remote, for one. And well guarded."

His glass settled down on the table with a solemn thud.

"Gonna need a change of clothes. And personal belongings? Ditch 'em. These being the exception."

The crystal's remains were set down on the table.

"Never forget who you were."​

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

"Never forget who you were."

The words resonated with Kusana. Her fixation on the crystal's state was broken when she heard that utterance. Were. Past tense. She could be someone new now. She felt a sudden sense of liberation from everything that held her in an iron grip before. She felt liberation from the family, liberation from the Jedi Code, liberation from herself and all the toxic metrics she had held herself to.

And so she breathed a sigh of relief.

"I would love to join you, if you'll have me. I can't imagine a better start for me than a fresh start right about now." She sounded exasperated, tired, but mostly hopeful. A hope that twinkled in her eye, and visibly changed her demeanor. "If there's a group of Force sensitives where you're going, maybe I could join them? Maybe they could teach me how to balance myself, teach me control."

While posing the question, she reached forward and took the crystal in all its pieces into her right hand. She could feel the faint connection to it as it faded. Goodnight, she thought.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

CORUSCANT, LOWER LEVELS

The young woman breathed a sigh of relief.

After being hunted for so long, Var couldn't blame her in the slightest. This might have been the first stroke of good luck she had in a long time. Thus, he said nothing for a moment and allowed her to take it in. As he did so, he plotted their course. Coruscant was a bust, they needed to get offworld and quick. Gods only knew how close the hunters were, especially given how she passed out only moments ago. A jedi fainting in a bar was sure to be swapped between patrons for the next few hours.

"The Medjai ain't in the business of turning folk away. Come as you are is what all Lords call it." came his reply, amidst a chuckle. "I'm sure they'll teach you everything you could ever want, and some."

His hands were placed flat on the table as he stood. "But for now, we've gotta get a move on. No tellin' how far behind your pals are." He then motioned behind him. "My ship's at the south port. C'mon."

With thus said, Var briskly stepped out of the booth and towards the cantina's exit.​

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

He was right. Her pursuers were likely to be hot on her trail. That's why, when he stood and began to leave the cantina, she was not far behind. She stuffed the shattered kyber crystal into one of her inner pockets as she hurried behind the man she had come to know as Var.

"I have some credits, I can pay you for the voyage." Fencing the ship she stole from the last mercenaries that tried to kill her wasn't easy. Fencing anything the size of a building wouldn't be easy, but an entire ship in tact with a hyperdrive? It took her a minute to find someone willing to take something that hot. And when she did fence it, she got a hefty sum of credits for it. She knew, at least, not to let too much on, however.

Her primary focus at this point was shifted to two main objectives:
1. Secure the trust of this individual to keep her life along the journey.
2. Learn as much as she could about where she was going, as she was getting there.

And with those two objectives in mind, she decided the best course of action from here was to shut up until he decided to tell her more about these Medjai.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

The young woman was quick on her feet.

This was good. One of the effects of being on the run so long was not dragging one's feet when it was time to leave. Stalling unnecessarily was a death sentence, after all, as it would allow pursuers to close the gap. Thus, the pair headed into the street and Var, out of habit, raised the collar of his bomber jacket. As he did, Kusana offered him credits for the voyage. It was a good sentiment, as nothing in this Galaxy was free, but the Echani shook his head.

"Save your creds. You can pay me by doin' what I say from here on out, aight?" This was more to cover their collective asses than a sense of superiority. "Lesson number one - those creds are officially your 'oh shit' fund. Always have an 'oh shit' fund."

Having said this, he led the way down the street, keeping an eye out for any signage that denoted clothing. He paused for just a second to look in the window of a seedier thrift, but decided against it. "Ain't tryin' to get roaches in your hair, nope." he mused.

As he strolled along, he posed a question: "If you're the heir, what's stoppin' you from abdicatin'? Can you just, y'know, sign away your rights to it?"

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

She chuckled at the prospect of abdication. If only it were that easy, to just sign away all her problems. No, her name carried too much weight in the right circles. She had to disappear.

"Well...I tried once. That almost got me killed. Then I tried again. I think that time I was technically killed for a couple minutes." She could tell that was a strange thing to say, and added, "I uh...I used to have a droid, it resuscitated me."

"Point is, I tried. They want me dead dead. Gone, out of their way." Her voice shook and she took a moment to reflect on that thought. Family members she used to know—love even—wanted her dead. It wasn't a thought she enjoyed thinking, in fact she had avoided it all this time. The sudden realization of its truth, however, brought a tear to her eye which rolled down her cheek.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

CORUSCANT UNDERBELLY

It was personal.

As the young Chiss explained the gravity of her situation, the Echani was left with one key takeaway. Whomever wanted her dead wasn't concerned about the money. Var had met plenty of fat cats in his day - and a true person motivated by greed was all about the bottom credit. But this? This reeked of someone having a vendetta. Those were dangerous and could last a lifetime.

"Sounds personal. Fething off is the best play." he said simply. As he spoke, he turned to face the woman - and also to peer behind them. What he spotted was a stray tear rolling down her cheek. Var sighed slightly. He couldn't imagine what that was like. Having one's whole family wanting them dead? Even in the midst of his greatest screw ups, he always had home to fall back on.

But this girl? She had nobody.

Setting his gaze forward, Var said; "Lesson number two - when you're safe, you get a day. Lock the doors, close the blinds, and let it out. It's...easier that way. Until then, suck it up."

As he spoke, he spotted a much cleaner looking thrift and stepped inside. The first good sign was the lack of a heinous odor upon moving past the door. "We don't have a lot of time, so being picky ain't it. Make sure you get a good jacket and boots."​

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

Peering inside the thrift store, it was...not the cleanest she had ever seen. She looked back to Var with a face of worry before realizing that yes, this was probably the cleanest they would find. Wandering inside, she aimlessly pulled at various articles of clothing, hoping one would catch her eye. She was about to give up when an idea struck her.

She combined a few different articles into a larger top, and found a nice pair of boots that mostly matched the color scheme. Having spent the credits on all the items, she went into the back to change. When she returned, she wore an outfit not far from the bland look of her former robes, but definitely much more tame in the expression of ideals. She had salvaged the hood from her robes and wore it up, to hide her rather distinct hair.

"Well? What do you think? Does it work?" She raised her arms past her sides a bit to show off the clothing in a more whole sense. Whatever his response, she hoped it was good. She had already spent the credits after all.

Spoiler: Image

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

While the young woman busied herself assembling a fitting ensemble, Var leaned against the entryway frame. This would provide a valuable view on anyone who walked inside. If one of her hunters strolled in, he'd have the drop on them. After a few minutes, the Chiss stepped forward. She did not look the part of a battered Jedi any longer and had sufficient protection from the elements.

"Perfect. Not too heavy, and it'll keep the wind off you."[/color] he said, offering a thumbs up. With no other reason to linger in the shop, Var gave the shopkeep a nod and led the way back out onto the street.

"Lesson number three - if someone's on your ass, don't say your name out loud." he began, keeping his head on a swivel. "So until we get to our destination, pick another name and quick."

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

Another name? Hmm...Jaina could be nice. A last name would certainly throw people off the scent of being Chiss, as long as my eyes don't turn red in front of someone. I'm mostly alone...How about Jaina Solo? No, that's dumb. That's a dumb reason for a last name. She pondered on this for a moment, before coming up with a name.

"Jaina Leary." She said this with confidence, clearly proud of the name. "What do you think?"

As they walked through the streets—"Jaina" discussing her new name—it became clear that she was emotionally not very mature. In order to salvage a useful member of society from her, one would have to help her learn to grow out of her almost teenager level of emotional intelligence.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

Jaina Leary.

The alias was uttered with such pride that the Echani chuckled. It was clear that the young woman had not yet been jaded by fleeing for her life. There was still some of that being young in her. This was good. Being robbed of one's humanity was just one step closer to the grave.

"Sounds fine. What matters is saying it like you believe it's yours."

As they drew ever closer to the port, Var became keenly aware of movement to their rear. He didn't make a show of his awareness, but kept an eye out by looking in any reflective surface that would offer a view. "Stay calm, looks like we're being followed." he began.

He hoped the new clothes would buy them more than a moment's reprieve. As it turned out, the pursuers seemed to be closer than he anticipated. If Var hadn't peeled her off the cantina floor, they might have finally gotten what they wished. Wordlessly, he tapped upon his bracer, which had an electronic response a ways off. His vessel began to hum to life.

"Ever do a running start?"

Kusana​

 

[Kusana]

"Ever do a running start?"

At first, Kusana didn't understand. However, it didn't take long for her grasp what he meant. "Wait, seriously?!" She instinctively reached for her saber which was no longer at her hip. Her heart sank a little, but she gathered herself.

"How long?" She was referring, of course, to how long they had been followed. She was mostly trying to calm her nerves by speaking until he gave the cue for her to take off running. That said, she was partly curious. Not in how long they had been pursued, but in how well this man could gather such information about his surroundings.

This was clearly someone she could rely on. Hopefully, she could afford to do that without getting herself killed.

Var Talon
​

 

[Var Talon]

"Stay calm. Getting excited gets you killed."

Without knowing, the Echani was guiding. Teaching. This was a role he never anticipated stepping within, but mortal peril had thrust it upon him. He watched as she instinctively reached for her hip - her heritage was very much still apart of who she was. She'd need a replacement saber before long.

"Less than a minute, don't think they've made us yet, but I'm not looking to give them the chance. Eyes front." he began, motioning with his chin towards the port. "Mine's the freighter with the blue bird painted on the side - don't ask, long story. Engines are kicking on as we speak. Gonna open the hold and we go."

He gave her a quick look - a confident smile.

"On three?"

Kusana​