A Stiff Drink to Dull the Senses(Open)

[Varus Shatterstar]

Corellia​

​

The Wayward Wampa Cantina​

There was a place that he could go for solitude on Ossus, of course. That wasn't why Varus Shatterstar was sitting in a dusty, dim lit bar on a Saturday night on a planet he wasn't even entirely sure he was safe on. In fact, it would have been a better idea to find a nice, quiet little spot on Ossus somewhere in it's vast wilderness so that he could meditate. Perhaps it might have even done more good if he'd have chosen to work it all out in the gym so that he could put too much weight on his shoulders or put himself through some ridiculous workout, too strenuous for practically anyone to undergo. It might have even done him some good to just get some sleep, but none of this interested Varus that night. In fact, nothing about his new life appealed to him while his mind was so heavily set in his past, unable to let go of things he aught to have, regardless of his new path as a Jedi.

In the Wayward Wampa there was a table set off to a far corner in the back of the big, single roomed Cantina with a bar laid out in the middle. At that table sat Varus, the tall young man looming over a drink that sat half consumed, icy eyes staring down into the dark mug of beer. He'd slipped away at night about 12 hours prior to that very moment, though he was well aware that despite his practiced guile, someone on Ossus was always watching. Someone knew he was gone, for certain, and perhaps they'd even made sure to see where he was going, though he couldn't say for sure. Whether or not they knew where he was, he did know that unless someone approached him, he'd never be the wiser.

That sounded just fine to him, however, as he sat there staring at the beer below him. It wasn't until he felt a pair of eyes on him that he moved again, turning and glancing from beneath the hood of his leather flight jacket at a young waitress who'd arrived with a fresh drink to hand him. She hesitated when she saw that he was only half through his drink and apologized, starting to pull back the new beverage, but Varus reached out a gentle hand and stopped her. He then reached up with his free hand and pulled the mug up from the table, turning it up to take a couple of large gulps from it before he reached over and sat it on the young woman's tray. "Thank you.", Varus said as he took the beer the woman had been holding, smiled at her and then glanced away as if to dismiss her.

Left to his own devices, Varus was in some ways self destructive, which was something he wouldn't readily admit despite knowing it to be true. That's why, as he sat quietly in his booth, he sipped from the mug he clasped in his right hand staring daggers into the empty seat in the booth across from him with cobalt eyes. He was quiet, but in his heart he was feeling pain he knew he should not feel. That pain that every heart felt, regardless of the walk of life that had been chosen. Though Varus was not a fearful man, or even one to truly know the intricacies of love or hate, he was very much a man who felt pain. Pain wrought from loss and a life alone. For Varus had been forgotten by all but one, and he longed to see that man's face in the booth across from him. He'd have given anything to see Jarrek's smirk as he stared back at him with a cold beer in his hand, a wise crack here and there laced with assurance and reinforcement. The Father he needed, though not the one he'd been awarded.

 

[Hugh Seyley]

For months, Hyperlanes had had this new person to protect them. While they were not completely protected, one little fraction of them had gained some more defending. And that was Hugh, the Corellian who thought protecting freedom and innocent people was his goal. While strictly believing the gods of Moross - whom a particle of disagreed with Hugh's ideals of keeping life free - he felt like he was destined to be of aid. Now on Corellia, he was taking time off. Off from flying around the galaxy, spending most of his days either travelling or guarding the place.

Corellia.

He sat in the Wayward Wampa Cantina, which was one of his favourites. It was one place where he could stay hidden, yet still get what he needed. Some years ago he had learned more about some certain factions, which had made him turn against most of the major powers in the galaxy. It was also the place where he had been turned to the faith of Moross Crusade. Yes, the place felt so familiar to him. It had good memories inside. It had life inside. It was...

... home.

Looking at his purple drink, Hugh smiled. He couldn't drink too much because there was always a chance that somebody needed his help. A drunk mind wouldn't let a person act like they're supposed to, right? So he had taken the least alcoholic drink there - well, besides water - and he was happy with it. In his opinion, there was no need to drink until you're on the line of life and death. Being drunk was not something which calmed Hugh. Instead, it made him furious, aggressive. Something he didn't want to be. He didn't want it to happen...

... again.

[ [member="Varus Shatterstar"] ]​

 

[Jsc]

Gunmetal gray titanium heels. Oh baby. Ol' Blue wasn't slouching today. She sat at a nearby table with her legs crossed and bored to tears. Surrounded by spacers of ill repute, shady knives, and even shadier lifestyles. Nah. Her job here was useless repeating so she just remained seated and let the boys talk it out. Money, money, money. It was always the same story. But it didn't matter. Not to her. She'd get what she wanted in the end.

She always did.

Karen Roberts of Corellia was a tall regal woman with shimmer blue hair. Usually found lounging in full-plate titanium armor of ridiculous taste on the bridge of a Star Destroyer or a Jedi Temple somewhere. You couldn't find the same super-saturated fashionista anywhere else. Well, maybe except for Zeltros of course. But she wasn't pink skinned to begin with, so that didn't really count. Her sense of fashion was a gem amongst the Jedi Orders and that was just the way she liked it. To stand out. Even just a little. Especially since she was, again, not as dead as she used to be.

[member="Varus Shatterstar"] looked miserable from her boring corner of the Corellian bar. Though she didn't know him from Adam. Still? Could't hurt to try. She nodded to herself and decided that was that. Once these ruffians and goons were done talking. She'd go over and chat him up. After all, he wasn't the first Force Sensitive she'd found slumming it through Corellia. Oh no.

Ha. Far from it.

 

[Kian Karr]

OSSUS

"He's gone to Corellia." Soli Baris said walking over to Kian and kneeling down in front of him to match his pose. They were in the central chamber of the Jedi Shadow Enclave. The rolling water of the waterfalls cascading with the still water of the lake below calmed Kian and helped clear his mind for contemplation. Kian opened his eyes and looked at the girl.

"You found him fast." Kian said smiling. Soli didn't respond, she just shrugged as if he shouldn't be surprised. The girl was getting good at her duties among the Shadows.

Kian's smile broadened as he rose to his feet.

"Your going after him?" The human girl asked, curiousity evident in her voice.

"I'm simply going to see what he is up to....nothing more. Keep the Enclave on lockdown until I return." Kian said bowing his head and walking out.

CORELLIA

Kian had come to Corellia once before on his voyage from Dorin to the Jedi. He had spent a year exploring the galaxy, getting to see places he had only ever read about back on Dorin. Why [member="Varus Shatterstar"], his apprentice, had come to Corellia was unknown to Kian. Varus had been acting odd lately and when he had vanished from Ossus, Kian had used his connections with the Shadows to locate him. Following his connection to the young man, Kian wasn't all that surprised to find him in a cantina. It wasn't a very different place to where Kian and he had first met back on Coruscant.

Kian pulled his jacket tighter about him. He wasn't wearing his usual robes, but was in a spacer jacket and matching pants. When Kian entered the cantina he kept his force presence small, virtually undetectable. He moved in the shadows, finding a table far enough way, and out of his line of sight to be unnoticed by Varus. The server droid came over and Kian quietly ordered a drink to keep up pretenses.

Sitting back Kian allowed his mind to wander. Why was Varus here? What was it he was looking for? Pulling his hood up and sitting back, Kian watched. Kian would give him time, he would see what was going to happen. And if need be, drag Varus back to Ossus if things got out of hand.

[member="Karen Roberts"] - [member="Hugh Seyley"]

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

For a long time Varus stared at the mug on the table in front of him, his mind ripe with thoughts of Jarrek and his memories of the speeder shop. He missed that place so much, and he wasn't sure why such simplicity hadn't been afforded to a man like him. It was perplexing to him that just because he was force sensitive he had to be sought after by people who didn't even know his name. Some of those very same people who'd sought him out had come and ruined his life just because they thought they knew what was best for him, but who could every really claim to know what is best for someone?

He could have done anything at any time with whomever he wanted, and it shouldn't have made any difference to anyone except for maybe Jarrek, and if he'd had his way he'd be right back there in that speeder shop. Every day he'd be hard at work, tired and sweaty, the smell of oil fresh in his nostrils form the smears of it all over his face, chest and arms, long, unkempt hair a mess across his face as he took his break. He could just see the look on Jarrek's face as Varus stood there, cleaning off some of the oil from his bare arms with a dirty old rag. That look that suggested they pack it in soon so that they could go get a drink as the sun slowly but surely sank behind the endless metal plains of Coruscant.

It wasn't an exciting life. He didn't have boundless wealth or beautiful women hanging from either of his arms. He wasn't the head of a large corporation making calls that effected thousands of employees or an adventurer that traveled through the galaxy discovering new and inhabitable planets. No. He'd never desired any of that. He just wanted a simple life, with the simple gifts of the loved ones he'd never had. Jarrek was like a Father to him, but a mother might have been nice.

Perhaps a brother? Even a sister?

Reaching up, Varus pulled the hood off of his head and lair it across his back, shaking his dirty blonde head of hair lightly as he ran one hand through those tangled locks. He then reached up and took his mug of beer, lifted it and pressed it to his lips, taking a sip of the strong, dark liquid that would ease his mind of it's torment. At least, he hoped so.

​

[member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Karen Roberts"] - [member="Hugh Seyley"]​

 

[Jsc]

Karen's table empied and she waved away the holodisc from the last man who approached. She could catch up with them later. Work could wait. Nah. Ol' Blue decided instead to stand up and go say hello. Letting her armored heels stomp against the floor with an iron ease. Every footfall made her sound as a heavy as a starship and her swagger told the rest. This woman was different.

She ignored the rest of the crowd and strolled up to poor [member="Varus Shatterstar"] with a curious smirk,

"So? Can a girl buy you a drink?"

Blue leaned her exotically armored back against the bar and stared out into the crowd. Twin saber-staffs sheathed visibly just above the small of her back. Naturally, her body language was so casual and easy Roberts might as well have been a smuggler.

 

[Varus Shatterstar]

Varus' eyes were dull and narrowed up until a flashily clad young woman approached him and said something about buying him a drink. At least, that's what he'd thought he'd heard, though he couldn't have been sure. The moment she'd spoken to him the canitina returned the young man to his body in one swift jolt, the low hum of chatter and other ambient sounds that blended in fading away as he fluttered his eyes and glanced up towards Karen Roberts for the first time in his life.

He'd never met the woman, and for that matter, he'd never even heard of her, which to him meant little. In a galaxy that big it didn't mean someone was unimportant. Even among the Jedi he knew little about very few of them, and in regards to the aforementioned fact that he knew nothing of this woman it could only mean one thing. That she was actually very smart.

To keep your name out of the mouths of others could only get your further in the galaxy unless you were a politician pushing a campaign or a celebrity plastering your god given gifts of cosmetic appeal on the big holoscreen. This woman wasn't much for hiding, it was obvious. Her attired and rather confident air about her told him that much. She did, however, seem to be hiding in plain sight from what he could tell, considering Varus had the gift of being able to read people on first meeting rather well.

"As long as a girl shares my company in thanks for the drink and takes care not to ask the wrong questions.", Varus said as he watched the young woman with that same indifferent look upon his face, a twisted ribbon of dark golden blonde hair then falling from it's place behind his ear and brushing across his face.

[member="Kian Karr"] - [member="Karen Roberts"] - [member="Hugh Seyley"]