A Zeltrochiss & a Zabrak Walk Into a Bar... (Zatten Black)

[Avery Rose Garter]

Kadrak nodded. "Serenity lets people think that they can solve problems by getting everyone to calm down and look at things rationally. Which, of course, hardly ever works. Especially with the crowd that I typically run with. Meaning those that don't typically operate legally, or have had one or another issues with the law. I don't think I have, myself. Unless I accidentally offended someone on this or that foreign planet. The chances of that happening are likely, so take that as you will." She grinned and winked.
"And yeah, if people are so insistent one one ideal they usually can't back it up beyond repeating the same argument over and over again. It gets old after a while, but I've learned to tune those people out. So unless you're one of those people or like your stereotypical Jedi, we should get along fine. But you don't seem nearly as stuffy, so we should be fine." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Unless you're hiding all of those ideals from me."

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I rolled my eyes.

"Well, let's see... Ideals, huh? Peace, Harmony, and Serenity: I turn into a semi-demonic warrior that throws people into walls. So, nope. Chastity? I'm a Zeltron, from Zeltros. Not bloody likely."

I laughed, and tried to remember the rest of the Jedi code.

"Immortality through the Force: Uhm, no."

I shrugged, and grinned crookedly again.

"So, I'm not really a Jedi, as the Order would have it. There's also that whole thing about lack of attachment, which doesn't work, seeing as the Order is and always has been an Order. Plus, I really rather enjoy attachments."

I winked at Kadrak again, and spun in my chair.

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

"Huh, well it just so happens that I enjoy attachments too. Especially to a certain Zeltron hybrid." Kadrak winked, spinning in her chair for a moment as she pondered on what he'd said, piecing it together with what little information she'd picked up on the Jedi through her work around the galaxy, finding that a lot of the people who told her the Order was very complacent and content to watch things happen while not intervening. Well, the traditional Jedi, at least. Which there were precious few of, the way that the galaxy was headed.
"It doesn't seem to me like the traditional Jedi have lasted very long in the galaxy as we know it. The closest they come to are the Republic's Jedi, but they're questionable at this point. Well, that and the fact that most of them are politicians, so that doesn't help their game. I've never cared for words. They can win battles, true, but they aren't something to fall back on, whatever happens." She shrugged. leaning back in the chair.

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

"A pitched battle is healthier for the mind than a political argument. At least, you can see your enemies, and see who you've doomed."

I laid back in my seat, suddenly serious again.

"The Republic is going to fall. The question is: who -or what- will pick up the pieces?"

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

At his last question Kadrak exhaled slowly and thought for a long moment. "At this point, I'm not sure anyone will. It seems like no one in the galaxy will miss them or what they stood for. There's the Alliance, but I don't think they'd concern themselves with the political side. On the other hand you have the Silver Jedi, but they don't strike me as the type to encourage talk over action. The only other huge political group that's becoming quite a power are the Imperials, but they don't care much for the Republic's ideals. So, unless someone else springs up, the only people picking up their pieces will be a faction who'll twist them to their own needs."
She hummed softly under her breath. "As a person belonging to a group of factions who don't care much for concerning themselves with this or that faction, I don't care much what goes on. The Novas will keep going, so will the groups we usually work for, and life goes on. We still get our credits, the other faction gets their help...nothing to complain about, from my point of view. Of course, that isn't to assume that you don't have issues with this or that faction..."

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

"I've never been too aligned, either. The Imperials are too.... Imperial. The Republic doesn't, and will never, have allegiance from me. The Alliance are hypocrites, and the Silvers and the Sanctum aren't overly interested in grabbing territory for themselves at the moment."

I shrugged, and laid back in my chair even further.

"The Silvers are the ones letting me build tech for them, and they're turning a blind eye to my, uh, views of the Force. So, they've got me."

I grinned at Kadrak, and winked.

"And you don't care about the Force, either way. You absolutely have me."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

Kadrak grinned and shrugged. "I'm not Force sensitive myself, so I suppose that could have something to do with it. Plus, the way I see it, you can be a Jedi and be a bad person, or be one of the Sith and not be bad to talk to. So really, all of the Orders don't make sense to me. But if someone needs a code to pledge themselves to in order to feel complete or whatnot, then let them do it. I'm just not one of those people. You could say I follow my own sort of code, I guess. Which says to live life to the fullest, not care what anyone else thinks, do whatever makes you happy and maybe find someone to do all of it with."
A small smile turned up the corners of her mouth. "And I'm absolutely happy to have you. You're quite the company to keep, after all. And to top it all off, not bad looking by any means." She looked to him with a wink.

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I grinned broadly, and wink right back.

"If you're trying to get me to show modesty or something, I don't have any. Another trait that apparently makes it impossible for me to advance."

I slid in my chair, ending up directly in front of Kadrak, only a couple inches away.

"I'm rather happy not to be a Jedi."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

"Hmm, modesty can get old anyway. I wasn't intending for you to show any, though if truth be told I expected an answer somewhere along the lines of that, no offense meant." Kadrak smiled. "You don't strike me as the type to care much about their status within whichever group. Which is something else that I like about you, because people of the egotistical sort have always gotten on my nerves, as you probably saw from the endgame with our friends earlier tonight. They're good for practice with a blaster, and maybe a fistfight or two, but other than that I don't have much use for them. Except for maybe ticking them off for amusement once in awhile. That's always fun."
At his close proximity she blinked in slight surprise but otherwise stayed where she was, studying him with an amused but slightly confused look in her eyes. "Oh? And pray tell, what's so great about not being a Jedi, hm?"

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

"Not being a Jedi frees me up to actually do things. Act impulsively. Like this."

I leaned forward, and kissed Kadrak lightly on the cheek, less than an inch away from her mouth.

"You see? There's no reason for me to be a Jedi."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

A half smile tugged at one corner of her mouth. "I have to agree. And you do quite well at acting impulsively. But I like to think I can too." Kadrak leaned forward to press a kiss to the edge of his mouth, pulling back after a moment. "Besides, impulsivity is the spice of life. Something the Jedi need to learn a thing or two about before making all of their rules."
She tilted her head slightly as she watched him for a moment. "But, you know, it seems that both of our aim seems to be off. We'll have to remedy that, don't you think?" She smiled again. "What do you say?"

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

I smirked back lazily, and scratched my beard pseudo-reflecively.

"Of course. Practice makes perfect, after all."

I spun in my chair, and grinned.

"Jedi are entirely too stuck in ancient ruts. What say we spit on their rut a little?"

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

"What was it you had in mind, exactly?" Kadrak returned his grin and spun slowly in her chair, stopping after a few rotations to face him. "I can't say practice makes perfect, because perfect is a lofty goal in and of itself. Practice makes as close to perfect as you can get." She winked and stuck her tongue out at him, stretching for a moment.
She leaned forward towards him once more, content to simply watch him for a second or two. "You'll have to elaborate for me, whether it's through actions or words. You do have me curious, and once my curiosity is sparked I'm not one to give up too easily. And besides, you know what they say about it being rude to leave a lady hanging."

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

"Yes, it would be quite rude."

I leaned forward again, and kissed Kadrak, this time on the lips.

"Sufficient explanation, no?"

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

Once he pulled away Kadrak smiled again, nodding slowly. "I would say it is, definitely. Though I would wager that it isn't your first kiss. Although, who's to say it's mine as well?" She leaned forward and kissed him again, a moment longer this time. "I can only imagine what those Jedi Masters would be saying now. I can't, however, make myself care all that much. Let them be stuck in their old ways, with their eternal search for serenity and devotion to chastity and whatnot. I'm more than happy to keep you here, with me. As long as you're happy to have me, that is."

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

"I'll be happy wherever you keep me. Unless it's a cell block. I had a certain disagreement with the last one I was in. I wanted to make it explode, and it disagreed."

I winked, and spun in my chair, again.

"As much as I would like to tell you that that was my first kiss, I was raised on Zeltros. I learned things I could never have learned anywhere else."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

"Well, you've got me now. If you want something to explode, I'll do my best to be of assistance. It's not often someone asks me to destroy things for them. Usually I'm the one that gets called in for the repairs after someone else tried to blow this or that up. And the fixing is so much less interesting than being the one who wires things up to detonate." Kadrak smiled and winked. "And besides, anything can be used as an explosive, or a weapon for that matter, given enough time to take it apart and rewire things."
She shrugged. "Like I said, it wasn't mine either, but in the long run that doesn't mean much. I can, however, be truthful in telling you that it's one of very few I actually enjoyed."

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

"Oh, don't worry. I have the feeling that you'll have plenty of stuff to blast, set on fire, and/or stick bombs on soon. Force knows I end up doing a lot of smashing."

I grinned, and winked at Kadrak.

"And I can tell you that's the best kiss I've had since I left Zeltros about ten years ago."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]

 

[Avery Rose Garter]

"A lot of smashing, huh? Well, if our time spent back at the bar was any indicator, I'll have plenty of time to brush up on my marksmanship, that's for sure. And if you're as fond of explosives as I'm beginning to think you are, then I'll get a chance to dabble in that area as well. As long as I get some kind of free reign in terms of the tech or how things are done, I'm happy to be of assistance with anything you might find yourself stuck on. Of course, it all boils down to who we're looking at in terms of adversaries, too. As much as I hate to admit it, some of them are actually good at finding hidden explosives with that new technology of theirs." Kadrak shrugged, leaning back. "But there isn't much to be done about that, I suppose."
She returned his grin. "So I've even beaten out the numerous other women of the galaxy. Somehow I find that hard to believe, but I have no issues in letting you say what you will. All I'll say is that fighting isn't the only thing you're plenty skilled at." She winked.

[member="Zatten Black"]

 

[Zatten Black]

"There'd be no point in fighting if I wasn't good at anything else."

I grinned, and nodded at Kadrak. She could play with my tech all she wanted.

"You're perfectly welcome to mess with my stuff. It doesn't surprise me that you know your way around a machine."

[member="Kadrak Jalaan"]