A Pint or Three

[Julius Sedaire]

Location: Green Devil Pub, Corellia​

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Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97ECZMvbLxg

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Julius had found his way back to the Green Devil Pub. After his meeting with [member="Kira Vaal"], he had realized he wasn't the orthodox type, and that was fine. He was a mover and a shaker, not a peace time leader. He sat at a table off to the side, dressed in his spacers gears from the Outback, his long blue leather coat draped across the back of the chair. A simple blaster was slung low in a thigh holster strapped to his right leg, and his regular trousers for this gear he wore were swapped for a pair of bloodstripes, the striping shining with metallic thread of Corellian bloodsteel. Maybe it was less covert, but he had goramn earned them, and wouldn't get them up for much.

In front of him sat several empty beer mugs, and a couple of shotglasses, and he was working on another pint of Corellian ale at his own pace. Drinking steadily, he sat back in the chair, leaning it up and kicking his feet onto the edge of the table. The bartender eyed him, and he slid another credit chip to the pile next to the heels of his boots as if in apology as he crossed his ankles and tapped his feet in a jaunty rhythm in time to the almost jazzy beat of the song.

As he sat, and drank, he passed an eye over the tables and people, looking out for anyone he might know, or that didn't fit in. This was a well known Corellian League haunt, and it wouldn't surprise him if any surviving One Sith sympathizers tried to come here in a misguided attempt at vengeance. And to that end in the inner breast pocket of his coat, in a pocket sized just so to conceal it and hold it, rested his lightsaber. Easy to draw and wield if anything called him to it. Senses stretched and flowed, trying to assess all the patrons and see if he could discern anything.

 

[Kellyn Muir]

He'd never been to Corellia before. The fabled system had a rich history and many of the galaxy's legends had come from it. Now, he walked the dimly lit streets, looking at once was a bustling metropolis. Corellia sure had declined over the years, so much so that the system had often been called Brokellia. He'd been on a mission from the Aegis Initiative to study the history of the planet and examine it's viability for an Initiative presence. So far he hadn't been impressed. Maybe he just chose a poor area, but from what he saw, the streets were more akin to that of Nar Shaddaa than the historic Corellia.

Calling it a night, he ended his stroll at a corner bar, boasting a large portrait of a green haired devil above the doors. Entering, he looked around to find what appeared to be a typical bar crowd. Taking at seat at the bar, he'd signal the bartender with a subtle hand wave.

"Corellian rum, please.", he said. Looking to his right, he saw a man leaning back in his stool, feet kicked up on the bar. It was almost funny how confident he was, not knocking over any of the glasses in a drunken stumble. He seemed to be holding up well enough though. The bartender was certainly doing his job well.

A sudden mischievousness came over Kellyn.

"One for my friend over there too."

[member="Julius Sedaire"]​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

The man who entered was plain clothed, but he walked with a certain step and curl to the lip that spoke of off-world. Corellia was battered, but she was trying to stand. The air of subtle derision made his hackles rise, but he shoved aside the anger. Here and now was not the place to fight. Not with this much alcohol in him. Another woman leaving him when he thought he had someone worthwhile. It was pointless, really. The way he walked, there was some training to him. Not a line soldier, but maybe an operative. Spook? Meh. What did he know or care what this off-worlder was? He was here to drown his sorrows, and the other man could talk a long walk out the airlock without a suit for his concerns.

That was, until the rum was sent over. Julius had manners. People knew him here. Knew him very well. The bartender jerked his head to the newcomer, and Julius grabbed the rum. Even two sheets (maybe two and a half, he admitted) to the wind as he was, he still had a swagger and showmanship to him. It helped to belie the cunning and intellect of a skilled strategist and warrior. People underestimating what you were capable of was a boon the One Sith never realized they had given him. Though, to be honest, his acumen at command had even surprised him a bit. Regardless, he rocked back in the chair, leaned his legs against it and pushed up and back as the chair leaned back then forward. The move resulted in the back passing between his legs and his hand snagging the duster like jacket under him.

With a twirl of the garment it rested on his shoulders easily, and he snagged the rum in his hand from the table, sauntering with a hint of a wobble to who the bartender had indicated bought the drink. The newcomer had a faint tug to the back of Julius' mind, something or someone he should remember? A vergence in the Force? He was too far in his cups to figure it out, but just this side of sober to recognize it was not just a lost outsider coming in. Something centered around this man. Whether or not for Julius or for someone else, or both, the man was of import. Sidling up to a barstool, he took a rest on it and nodded to the drink-sender as he downed the rum with a satisfied breath.

"You don't know me, or you would have sent whiskey. Which is why the rum is more than welcomed. Nice to not have someone kissing my backside, kid. What brings you to the Green Devil?"

[member="Kellyn Muir"]

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0q8Oho_RjM

 

[Kellyn Muir]

The man was about as courteous as one could be in a bar. After a swig of the rum, he stated his preference for whisky over the complementary drink sent his way, but definitely had no qualm with any form of alcohol, especially not the stuff in front of him. Kellyn supposed there's nothing wrong with that, though a simple nod of thanks would have even sufficed. The brown nosing comment might have struck a chord anywhere else, but given the loose atmosphere of the pub, he knew it to be playful bar talk. He even countered with some of his own and a sly grin.

"The only thing kissing your backside'll be my boot, pops."

Taking a sip of his own rum, he looked forward before finishing his drink and ordering another, which was promptly delivered. Turning to the man, he answered the more curious of the questions, inquiring to his reason for being at the Green Devil Pub.

With a chuckle, he answered. "Oh, is it that obvious I'm not from these parts?" Rubbing the back of his head briefly and taking a quick swig, he continued. "Doing a study for work. Corellia has a rich history, figured I'd start there. It's a little smaller than Coruscant, ya know?"

[member="Julius Sedaire"]​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

For a moment, the hazy smile evaporated when the man mentioned work. The relaxed posture became less drunken slump and more a sort of coiled waiting that was hidden under congeniality and mirth. Work could mean a lot of things, but the vibe he got from him was lethal, trained, coiled. Not a super predator, but no slouch. He didn't reek of the Dark Side, but nor did he reek like some orthodox Jedi. So he nodded to the man and reached his hand out to shake his with a casual respect. No gloves, those were tucked into his belt. The callouses were evident in places that would show a life working with weaponry.

"Strong words. I'd almost like to see you do that... What's your work? If you're here to research the local fauna, you'll find out in short order the Green Devil is a meeting place for the Corellian League and Green Jedi. And yeah, you reek of some place with polish and rules, no offense. Corellia is a small place when you know who is who."

[member="Kellyn Muir"]

 

[Kellyn Muir]

Kellyn could see the looseness in the conversation slowly dissipate. Obviously, study and work were frowned upon in such a relaxed atmosphere where one would expect to not have a care in the world. He was taking a load off here, but the question was asked. Kellyn lived and breathed commitment - in lieu of family, work. Extending a hand, the man offered handshake in greeting. Kellyn met it with firm confidence.

"Kellyn Muir.", he introduced himself. "I work in foreign intelligence. I'm researching the rise and fall of Corellia, it's people and culture, and even the Corellian League too." He took another sip of his drink. "And you? Surely not a career drunk.", he jested.

[member="Julius Sedaire"]​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

"Master in the Green Jedi Order, sort of. Founded the League. Part owner of this bar. Used to do a few other things with the Galactic Alliance, the Republic. Wherever I can lend a hand to the little man, i'll be there lending a hand. Who's Spook are you? Not many left that wouldn't make you reek of the Dark Side, and you don't."

Sipping the rum as he let go of his new acquaintance's hand, Julius stretched senses specifically to him, pulling the Force around him, staring casually. The wait for a response gave him good cover to eye the man. Direct eye contact wasn't needed, this wasn't a challenge, but he didn't shy from it. Enhanced stimuli showed the man had potential. He might not know it, but he either had a minor gift for the Force, or could be taught to wield it outright like a Jedi. Hard to tell, but the truth was there. Then again, Julius was no mystic, so he could be entirely wrong. As he waited, and finished speaking, he pulled the Jed-Cred from around his neck, studded with soul diamonds, and let it clink to the bar counter. No one would dare fake that AND wear bloodstripes while being on Corellia. It was a guarantee of death.

[member="Kellyn Muir"]

 

[Kellyn Muir]

"Oh ho ho, so you're the great Sedaire!", Kellyn laughed excitedly. This was quite the unexpected treat - in the most unlikely of places, he found someone who'd shape up to be extremely resourceful in Kellyn's mission. Now was as good a time as any to tap into that wealth of knowledge in his head. Green Jedi, founder of the Corellian League, fighter for the Republic and Alliance... There was no way this could have been coincidence. As soon as the words were uttered, he felt a connection to the man. Not the kind of familial bond brothers share, but rather the kind that friends would instantly hit it off with.

As for his employer? There was no point in keeping it a secret. "I'm with an organization called the Aegis Initiative, it's a military movement led by an admiral from the Iron Empire." He had no qualm saying it. It wasn't a lie - it just wasn't the whole truth. Though he worked for the clandestine SIS out of Sullust, it was his work from the Initiative that legitimately brought him there. Another sip. Sedaire then took a medallion from his neck and dropped it onto the bar counter. Unfamiliar with the notion, Kellyn tilted his drink in that direction. "Whatcha got there?", he asked with a genuine curiosity.

[member="Julius Sedaire"]​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

"A curiosity that a friend in the Alliance makes for us. It has some interesting properties, go ahead and pick it up. I'm curious... Tell me what you feel..."

Stretching, he sipped the rum and scrubbed at the back of his head as if in embarrassment. A bit of a reputation was fine. Helped with the women and getting contracts. But when spooks from Empires knew you and your resume, it became unsettling. He missed the days with [member="Jorus Merrill"] and [member="Kira Vaal"], being an utterly unknown operative for the Underground, helping build the Sullustan Temple for the Alliance. Being able to go when and where he pleased as he pleased. Somedays he still tried to behave in that fashion. Then things like this came up, and he was reminded all too harshly of the fact he had grown up, and his friends had drifted. [member="Keira Ticon"] was gone now, from what he knew. Jorus was a kid despite being his elder. Kira? Well, the pilot of the Falcon was still something that tied his gut in knots. A snarl of emotions and illogics best left for another day.

"And yeah, I'm Sedaire. Julius, if you prefer. I guess my reputation precedes me these days, even with spooks like you. Not exactly comforting.. How's the coin feel?"

As he waited, he drained the rum and motioned with a finger horizontal. The 'tender slid a tonic water and he nursed it, trying to clear his head.

[member="Kellyn Muir"]

 

[Kellyn Muir]

Interesting properties, huh? Kellyn was doubtful, surely this was the alcohol doing the talking. Obliging, he reached over and picked up the amulet. Upon his fingers grasping the it, he felt a rush of sensation, almost as if his mind had been hijacked by some unknown entity. The warmth of the rum was one thing, but what he felt here was an entirely new realm. So far from home, he felt as if he was there.

He saw himself, standing at a skylight window high above the ground, the atmosphere lit by neon. A drink in hand, pistol in the other, he took a sip. What was this? A incandescent light appeared in the center of it all, progressively growing larger. He began to feel a sense of panic, something that dissipated after sudden landscape shift.

Beaches, beaches for miles. Beyond a white sand beach lie an endless plain of a shimmering sea of blue. He didn't see anything, not until he looked up. Landing craft began setting down from the atmosphere, a star destroyer flying in low orbit blocking out the sun. Suddenly, the blue didn't shimmer anymore. But he didn't feel threatened at all. In fact, he felt empowered.

Another sudden landscape change - this one a little more underwhelming than the others. He was back in the Green Devil Pub, the Correlian known as Julius Sedaire sitting before him, looking at him as if he was watching an experiment.

"What did that bartender put in my drink?", he asked, looking at his half empty glass. It was the only plausible explanation he could think of. "What just happened?"

[member="Julius Sedaire"]​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

Julius smiled as the younger man's eyes widened. The sensation was different in some small way for each. For Corellians, who it was tailored for, they would be drawn to the location of Corellia like a lodestone to magnetics. He couldn't, of course, tell what the other had seen or felt or experienced. Regardless, he smiled fondly to the other and held his hand out for the coin back. Such trinkets he was used to, and subconsciously he rolled his shoulders, feeling a mental tug from the Calypho Compass he bore in symbiosis from his time in the Outback navigating to the Aing-Tii.

This man reminded him of himself, in a way really. Before he had drifted and gone more rogue than true Jedi. Maybe he knew of his talents, and maybe he didn't. Regardless, telling him of such abilities needed a certain finesse and gravitas. Julius wasn't quite sober enough to manage it flawlessly. But he was just enough so to put his glass on the table and clap the other man on the shoulder and nod sagely at his drinking companion.

"That was the Force, or more accurately a vision granted by it. That coin there can guide a Force Sensitive to their home. At least for Corellians. For others, depending, I hear it varies. But I wager you saw far away places, felt as if you were maybe at a childhood home or the like. Felt welcomed and protected. If you did, then the simple fact is you can be trained to use the Force, to some extent."

[member="Kellyn Muir"]

 

[Kellyn Muir]

After a pat on the back and a light chuckle, Julius held his hand out for the coin. Kellyn was happy to oblige. What he just felt was inexplicable - except the Corellian seemed to put into words effortlessly. He'd heard of the Force before, but he never expected that he might actually have it. He looked at that countertop briefly before taking taking a larger sip of his drink.

Bobbing his hand, with a curled finger forward, he turned his head to Julius. There were too many questions to be had, and as much as he'd like answers to them all, he doubted that Julius would be able to answer all of them, much less would they have the time to answer them all. With that, he let out the first stupid question he could think of.

"Does this mean that I'm a Jedi?"

[member="Julius Sedaire"]​

 

[Julius Sedaire]

"Jedi? No. Not quite. Jedi is just a philosophy is all. A way of viewing the Force and living your life in general. They would argue otherwise, but that's just dogmatic nonsense. It does mean you are a Force User, though. What kind, and to what extent or how strong, well that remains to be seen. You probably have a few natural gifts that you don't even think about. Real quick on the draw I suspect? Able to almost 'smell' out a dangerous situation or someone telling a lie, stuff like that..."

Taking the coin up, he draped it around his neck next to another one, similar, but much more heavy in wear and age. A momentary flick of a bare finger across it was all the remembrance he took of his old friend before he drained the tonic water in front of him, face screwed up a bit at the taste. It did help sober him up and calm his nerves a bit though. His track record teaching was a bit murky. Skilled at it though he might be, his padawans had a history of winding up dead or dismembered. Or conquered by the Dark Side. Regardless, he could at the least try and help this one find his footing. Maybe get him to the Temple on Corellia. He might not be Corellian, but if he was a Government sponsored Spook he might fit in with the more rogueish ways. He ordered up a drink with a mixture of rice wine, rye whiskey and an orange-flavored liqeur.

Lighting a long cigarra with an antique fluid driven lighter, he drew in a heavy puff as he waited for the two drinks.

"I can't promise I can show you everything, but I'll do my best to make sure some Sith can't come along and brainwash you. Or some Jedi shackle you with guilt and morality. Or we part ways and I forget your face, and you just remember to come here if my offer ever sings different in your mind. It is the best worst-kept secret on Corellia, after-all."

[member="Kellyn Muir"]

 

[Kellyn Muir]

For someone who was in the business of knowing things, Kellyn sure seemed to be displaying a lack of knowledge for the Force. As Julius named some inert talents he might have, Kellyn wondered if he had the Force to thank for his rapid development. Despite his somewhat younger age, he's gotten pretty far in life, and all of a sudden he found out that the Force just might have been the reason for it all. If it could take him further, he'd let it.

Jedi have always intrigued Kellyn, but he never sought to subject himself to their strict codes and hierarchies. He'd heard of the Sith, and lived through the reign of the One Sith, so he had no desire to join their ranks. Though the Sith's structure and militaries often inspired him, their knack for cruelty and wanton violence disgusted him. He would walk neither path, but rather use the Force as a tool, a force (pun intended) he would use to augment his skillset just as it may have in the past.

Julius had a real nonchalant way of speaking. It was almost as if he wanted to do something, but made it sound as if he could care less. At this point, it was an offer to guide Kellyn in the way of the Force, and Kellyn was more that happy to oblige. He downed the rest of his drink as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a few credits and tossed them on the bar top. He reached back into his pocket and took a small metallic card from his pocket. It was a business card with all his pertinent contact details engraved on it - they didn't look cheap. He slapped it on the bar top and slid it towards Julius as he rose from his seat. With a small smile, he pat the man on the back before exiting the bar.

"Just say when and where."

[member="Julius Sedaire"]​