Do a Good Turn Daily

[Asemir]

Naboo

Asemir Lor'kora let out a happy breath, something that had been occurring rather infrequently as of late. His mirth was born of the satisfaction that came from a successful mission, but more than that, from the simple appreciation that he wasn't breathing stale, recycled air or pungent, polluted atmosphere. The skies were clear, the breeze fresh. Natural, organic trees lined the promenades. Real, native birds chirped from their boughs.

Naboo, he thought, was a welcome change from the nightmares that were Nar Shadda or Sullust, or a host of other heavily industrialized worlds. Sure, the pristine untouched planets outnumbered the overpopulated, but the latter were overpopulated because they were population centers. Planets like Naboo were uncommon, and Asemir always appreciated the mission that took him to a "garden world".

The Forgotten ignored the various storefronts and merchants peddling their wares as his walk carried him through the mid-day crowds. His chosen outfit, a simple cloak over his customary armor, helped him blend in with the populace, at least those not of the higher class. Those people tended towards the more elaborate outfits: expensive hair pieces, embroidered great cloaks, and the like. It was too ostentatious for the Ingr'Nysk's tastes, and far from practical.

His determined strides quickened as his destination appeared. It was a nondescript store, just a small establishment that marketed various pieces of jewelry. It sold nothing too extravagant, certainly nothing that would attract the upper echelons of Naboo's society, only items that the middle class could afford.

When he stepped through the door, Asemir noted how muted the place looked. He had expected something more vibrant, more pleasing to the eye, more capable of attracting potential buyers. This place, though, was plain, boring even. There was no polish. In fact, upon further inspection, he saw that many of the display cases were cracked, uneven, sparse, or outright shattered.

It fit the description on the bounty quite well.

Asemir stepped up to the counter, where a man had been watching him warily. "Good afternoon, Mister Hogarth," the Ingr'Nysk said as he reached into his satchel. "I believe I have something that belongs to you."

Hogarth's eyes widened considerably when Asemir placed a small, gold-encrusted holoprojector on the countertop. "You.... you found it." He reached for the projector and found the hidden switch with an ease born of years of familiarity with the device.

A small image showing a man, a woman, and three children flickered to life. They smiled and waved at the recorder. The man was Hogarth.

Asemir nodded as he watched Hogarth blink back tears. "I found it. I found them. Your instructions indicated all you wanted was the projector, but I made sure they won't be bothering you again."

"Thank you. They took everything from me. My wife, my children. Everything." Hogarth wiped away his tears and his face hardened. "And you dealt with them?"

"Yes. I made sure that they aren't capable of doing anything anymore." Asemir's tone made it quite clear what he meant.

"Thank you again." Hogarth sighed, a mixture of relief and pain etched on his face. He switched off the projector. "If you can give me a moment, I'll fetch the payment."

"There's no need," Asemir said with a gentle shake of his head. "They had it coming."

"There must be something I can do," Hogarth protested. He moved to one of the displays that had not been obviously ransacked. "Perhaps a ring? Necklace? Is there someone special in your life?"

But Asemir shook his head again and added a genuine smile. "It's fine, Mister Hogarth. No worries at all. Please take care of yourself."

"I... thank you again," the shopkeeper said. "If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I'll be sure to let you know." Asemir added a slight wave as he pushed open the door and stepped back out into the bright sunshine of Naboo.

Yes, Naboo was quite a nice change of pace. Plus the fact that he had done something good for the galaxy certainly helped his spirits.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Months had passed since the blonde had fled Naboo, her family, friends, and old life. It was not war she was running from. It was not famine or poverty or a broken heart. The reason had been quite simple in her mind really. The Force. She had discovered a talent that was unlike anything she could have ever imagined; A talent that her family had no wisdom or advice to provide her. Knowledge of the Force was scarce, and there were none on Naboo that could provide that insight, save for the stranger she'd met named Keira that had offered to teach and train her new found abilities. Jamie's family may not have found it a pill quite so easily swallowed, however in the eyes of a teenager, visions of grandeur directed her decisions, and as quickly as she had been able, she fled her home.

Setting foot back on the soil of her birthplace was a bit overwhelming. With the collapse of the Techno Union, the overarching government had begun to fracture. With the economy of the planet hanging in the balance, along with the security of Naboo's sovereignty, Jamie felt it a pivotal moment to return and ensure that her family was safe. Truthfully there was little she would be able to do in terms of assisting them. The credits in her name were in fact her parents, and she was far from being a Jedi still. The blonde had not yet completed her training, despite making some strides since she had left months ago. When the chips fell, realistically all she could have hoped to do is help her family take refuge off world if the need had arisen.

None of that would prove necessary though, as Theed was still a prospering city, standing on its' own without the need for assistance or intervention from the collapsing Union. Naboo was a proud world with proud people. Strong people. United people. It wasn't likely that the planet would fall to anarchy simply because the conglomerate of allied worlds disassembled. What it did allow though, was an increased likelihood that they may be invaded by less than friendly neighbors such as the One Sith, or the rising Sith Empire. Aide was needed all over the galaxy, and while the Naboo military had its' own small force, it was nowhere near as advanced or numerous as those who had conquered countless worlds and extracted such fierce technology that would be used to enslave hundreds of worlds.

Putting that behind her for now, Jamie wandered along the streets admiring the works and wares of vendors she'd passed by on a daily basis to and from her studies. A florist arranged a beautiful bouquet of flowers, setting them on display beside a collection of other neatly arranged pieces. The scent filled the blonde's senses, a wide smile pushing its' way through her expression as she drew in each new breath. This was what she'd missed most about home; Simply the way Naboo smelled. It was euphoric to her. Jamie picked a few various species of flower, combining vibrant greens and piercing yellows with eye catching reds and blues before coming to settle on her own unique bouquet. There was no occasion, other than the promise she'd made to herself not to forget a small collection the next time she landed on world.

Having paid for the flowers the woman turned to notice an oddly colored man emerge from within one of the shops. Jamie found it an odd sight, as growing up in the area one rarely ever saw an outsider of such unique looks wandering around the more humble locales of Theed. Even her own family rarely made their presence in this part of the city known, though Jamie was a bit of a free soul in that aspect.

A minute or two would pass as the blonde curiously studied the man while he went about his business, moseying around the square. There was something peculiar about the man that she had begun to feel when surrounding herself around the presence of others touched by the Force. It was a distant tug on her senses, as if something was simply off about him. This was something she'd been developing an affinity for throughout her time spent with Keira, though it was still difficult for her to perceive at times, or anything further away than a few meters. Still, the combination of odd coincidences piqued Jamie's interest enough to fix her eyes on the man and watch him a bit more closely.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

It was always an odd sensation to realize that one was being watched. It was also a skill or technique that didn't come naturally for most people. For Asemir, it was something developed through years of learning to trust and hear the Force. Often times, it was nothing more than a whisper, but to the experienced ear, it was enough.

He wasn't able to home in on the exact position of whoever was spying on him, but he knew the person was probably in the general vicinity. And it was a Force user too. The familiar taste of the Force was in the air.

That realization set some alarms off in Asemir's head. A Force user was focusing on him. That could mean trouble. Maybe, maybe not. He couldn't be sure.

The Forgotten glanced around using his eyes, trying to scan his surroundings without obviously giving away his intentions, but nothing stood out. A girl with flowers there. An old man there examining some fruit. There were just too many people.

He threaded his way through the crowd and picked a store at random. After stepping through the door, he realized it was a place selling soaps and other fragrant lotions. Great. But it would serve as cover, and there was a back door.

Whoever was watching him would have to follow if they wanted to continue their observation.

Then Asemir would see who it was and decide if he was threatened. And if he was, well, he was quite capable of defending himself.

OOC:
Well, I figure a little chase would be more fun than Asemir going straight up to Jamie and saying hi.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The blonde caught the eye of Asemir for only a moment before her blue eyes sailed past him in an effort to look inconspicuous. Past the man she watched briefly as a family of five meandered through the marketplace, the three children of various ages though all still very young talked back and forth with one another. One seemed particularly interested in some of the exotic fish on display for sale at one vendor, making a few silly faces at the still living animal before being pulled along by his mother. The father seemed rugged, perhaps a construction worker or a miner, maybe even a mechanic for the shipyard. His long dark hair gleamed in the sunlight and danced as the wind took hold of black locks. His wife, a much more slender and fair woman of middle age was of pale skin and light hair color, much like Jamie's own blonde, though perhaps a bit lighter than even she. The woman walked with elegance, and her face rang a bit of familiarity with the girl. It was likely that this woman served the royal court in similar capacity to her parents.

By the time Jamie had looked back to where Asemir had been standing only moments prior he was gone. The girl shifted her eyes back and forth from each of the outdoor stands but found no trace of the alien. Her lips gestured the word, though her voice was silent, heard only inside her mind. Where? Biting her lip she looked to a few of the buildings that were nearby. His presence could still be felt, so he hadn't quite escaped, but perhaps he knew she was around, as she knew he had been. Perhaps he is a fugitive? Or worse? Her thoughts began to course through her mind as her feet carried her towards one of the buildings. Maybe he's in hiding. But from what?

Passing by the building Jamie's eyes glanced inward, noting that the door had been left open, though it appeared fairly empty inside. A few patrons exited as she stood peering inside, before deciding herself to enter. Inside were shelves upon shelves of various medicines and herbs, some exotic, some grown on Naboo. In small buckets that lined a counter top there were bracelets and necklaces that contained charms for good luck and supposed 'Force awareness.' Jamie knew these were nothing more than hoaxes, as anyone who could actually sense the Force would know that these held no truth to them. Still, however, the object of her attention did not appear to be inside, and with that, the girl wandered back into the street, and across to the next building.

Standing at the entrance she could smell the combination of fragrances, some from plant extracts, others from liquid combinations. Most were extraordinarily pleasant, whilst others were clearly meant for aliens. Jamie made her best efforts to not look suspicious while she scanned the area, taking in the form of Asemir once more as he seemed keenly aware that someone had been looking at or for him only moments ago. Whether or not he knew that the person was her had yet to be seen. He was certainly peculiar looking, and that alone was enough to interest her into questioning why he was on Naboo, a seemingly backwater planet given its' distance from the core worlds or that of more prominent planets.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

OOC:
Apologies for the long wait between posts. Work and RL have been very busy and aggravating. Last minute business trips, toddler, etc.

IC:
Asemir was browsing a set of fruity-smelling soaps when he felt a young woman enter the store. He had caught movement out of the corner of his eye, but it was that familiar itch that alerted him. The Force user was very close and it was definitely her. Her life aura glowed gently, and he was very certain that she had been watching him. But why?

It was still a guessing game right now, so the Forgotten chose one of the soaps at random and headed to the front desk. He gave the cashier a friendly smile and handed over some credits. As the man bagged his purchase, Asemir glanced to his side, seeing his tail for the first time. She was young, about his height, and with blond hair. Otherwise, fairly typical human female.

Asemir thanked the cashier and took his bag of soap, and after a moment's consideration, decided to make this interesting. Without so much as a word, he stepped around the counter and headed into the backroom. A few more steps and he pushed open the rear door and stepped around out of line of sight.

The Forgotten took a deep breath and composed himself mentally as he smothered his Force presence. It was time to end the chase and find out what this girl wanted with him.

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Spoiler

No worries at all! Take your time, I'm not going anywhere

Well that wasn't painfully obvious. He knows...Game over.

Jamie placed the item down that she had been feigning interest in and quickened her pace towards where she'd seen the off-worlder disappear to. Odd...Despite her rather lackluster grip of the Force, she had still been able to feel his presence not more than seconds ago, and now, as faint as it had been before, it was entirely gone, as if he had just somehow vanished from her sixth sense. Her master had explained that the Force was capable of near limitless uses, so perhaps this alien knew something she didn't of the Force, and could, in the same way animals blended into their environment, perhaps blend himself in with the rest of the living Force to hide from her.

The blonde smiled as she passed by the cashier near the counter, offering a sheepish waive as she pushed through to the back in pursuit of the man she'd taken an interest in. Why? She wasn't quite sure really. Intrigue mostly. Reaching the door that appeared as the only way in or out from the rear of the building Jamie drew in a deep breath, her hand on the door before pushing it quickly open and stepping outside.

To her surprise she saw nobody in front of her. Just the alleyway behind the building that lead to the left and to the right, a few people passing through towards the other side, and the back entrances that were partially obscured by the shadows that lead to the various other shops much like the one she'd just exited from.

"Kark. Where'd you get to?"

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

"Right here," Asemir said as he emerged from the shadows. He had considered pulling a knife on the woman, but decided against it. This was, after all, a fairly innocuous situation. There could be a hundred reasons why she was following him, and most of them would be innocent. A life threatening gesture could lead down paths that did not end peacefully.

That being the case, the Forgotten was quite ready to defend himself, just in case his pursuer turned violent. "You're following me, young lady." He crossed his arms across his chest. "Why is that?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

The sudden emergence of the alien briefly startled the blonde, forcing her to take a step or two back before bumping into the duracrete wall behind her. "Oh-I..." Hard, audible swallow. "Hello there." Quite obviously she hadn't expected Asemir to be right there when she spoke to herself aloud. His posture and tone gave the hint of curiosity mixed with a modicum of aggression. Though truthfully, by sheer appearances, Asemir was by far more menacing in looks by both size and features than Jamie could hope to appear. Whether or not that was actually a good thing for her had yet to be seen. Still, Jamie maintained her composure long enough to correct her stuttering and address the alien.

"I am, or was, I guess you could say, yes." Making sure her hands were clearly visible so not to appear aggressive herself, she gave the man a warm smile, as warm as one could give in the back alley of a plaza of buildings that is. "You're not from here." She said, gesturing with her hands to the surroundings, as if to explain Naboo. "In fact, you look like you are from some place far, far from here." Leaning against the wall she had backed herself into, the girl rested the palms of her hands in the crooks of her arms. "I was curious about you. Your story, what you're doing here. Where you come from."

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

He regarded the woman carefully. Or perhaps girl? She was certainly young enough, barely an adult by human standards. He sensed no outright hostility in either her words or her demeanor. Sure, surprise and caution at being caught by surprise, but nothing aggressive. Her voice was laced with curiosity, if anything, and that put Asemir at ease. Just a little.

"You're right, I am not from Naboo or anywhere near here." He paused and thought a moment. His mission was complete and he had no pressing matters. The woman was certainly a Force user, but her aura didn't glow with that supernova glare that he'd seen in some of the true master-level Forcers out there. Either her innate talent wasn't at that level or she hadn't been trained. Or both. He was safe, he decided.

"Tell you what, I'm not in a hurry and Naboo is a nice world and I don't feel like leaving just yet. I'll tell you a bit about my story." Asemir glanced around the alley. "But let's find a better place than this. An alleyway isn't a great place to exchange tales. Do you know of any good cafes or restaurants around here? Something that's far more suitable for a nice conversation?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Jamie's face turned to a beaming smile. She hadn't quite expected Asemir's response to be one of friendly invitation. Perhaps in the back of her mind there was still some worry that he might be on the planet for some kind of nefarious purpose, though if that were the case it was unlikely that he would be so eager to tell a stroke of luck stranger he met in an alleyway only moments prior. Besides, he hadn't even tried to kill her. That had to count for something, right? The blonde gave a nod, blonde hair bouncing with each bob of her head, leaving several locks stranded in front of her face.

"Oh! Really?! Yes, of course! I know a really nice cafe on this hill that overlooks a wonderful landscape of flowers, majestic trees, and a winding path between both to a quiet pond where I sometimes like to just sit and think! We can go there!"

Jamie pulled herself away from the duracrete wall and motioned with her hand for Asemir to follow her out and around the alleyway and back onto the main drag. The road would lead out of the city and towards a small rural area of the countryside. A few minutes walk is all it would take for the two to reach their destination, giving enough time for brief chit-chat and introductions. "I'm Jamie, by the way. Sorry for creeping on you, I just don't usually see many travelers around here. At least, not ones that kinda stick out."

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

The Forgotten nodded as Jamie led them out of the alleyway and to the cafe on the hill. She introduced herself, and Asemir smiled to himself. Such youthful exuberance. It was a welcome change to the doom and gloom that he was so used to given his line of work. "I am Asemir," he replied as they left the city. "It's nice to meet you Jamie. I suppose I overreacted slightly, but I've learned from lots of trial and error that it pays to be extra cautious. You don't often get a second chance."

They passed some other travelers, and Asemir noted that they were human, like most everyone else in the city. "You're right, I do stand out. Obviously, I'm from off-world, and come to think of it, I don't think I've met anyone else of my kind during my travels. We're kind of rare." He looked at the young woman. "Do you live around here? Are you from Naboo?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"Fair point." A nod to accompany her agreement. "You'll find Naboo is pretty safe for the most part. We don't have much crime, especially in the capital." To be alone in the galaxy though, having not found another of his kind since departing from wherever he had come from? That seemed heartbreaking and depressing. The blonde thought to herself for a moment how she might feel never seeing another human again if she left Naboo. It made her cringe at the thought. "It must be difficult, being alone, so to speak." She mused on the thought for another brief minute. "Though standing out sometimes isn't so bad. Sometimes it leads to interesting conversation!" She said, blue eyes beaming with a bright smile to compliment her jovial words.

"But yes, I'm from Naboo. My family have lived here for as far back as the royal records reach. My parents are members of the court; Ambassadors and advisers. " Her home was near old enough to be considered a landmark outside of Theed, but that wasn't quite something she spoke much about. Wealth and status weren't exactly something she flaunted in the faces of others. She had long since been taught manners, modesty, and respect.

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

"You get used to being alone." A pause but he continued. "It's not so bad. I mean, I was trained to operate independently, but I did have a group of friends. A squad. I've since outlived them. Like I said, I've gotten used to it, and so it's not as bad as it sounds."

There was just a touch of sadness in his voice, but it was barely noticeable. The years had dulled the pain of losing everyone he had cared for. His mental and emotional barriers had turned the memories mostly into analytical exercises. They were the facts of his life, and he had come to accept that.

Asemir added a smile. It was real, genuine. "But, you are right. Standing out does make for interesting conversation. There's a lot of stories to be told, for sure."

As Jamie spoke of her parents and their roles in society, Asemir's smile dimmed just slightly. "How is life when your parents are members of the court? One of my squadmates was royalty, but she was all but disowned by her father, so there wasn't any of that splendor and pomp that usually comes with being connected."

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

Asemir's story was moderately depressing to Jamie. He had been trained to be alone through life. Anyone who seemingly knew anything at all about him were long since passed, likely a consequence of whatever kind of work they were engaged in. By her own assumption she figured the man was likely a mercenary or soldier of some kind. Or perhaps he was a bounty hunter. That at least seemed the most likely of roles for someone with his background to follow. His appearance served that theory well. The manner in which he carried himself and the words he spoke were carefully chosen.

"I see." She said softly, turning down a small roadway that led out towards the hillside. The modest eatery would spring into view once the two had cleared the few scattered trees just ahead of them. Even from where they stood, looking up to the building the largest of the trees could be plainly seen, their canopies looming overhead like giant umbrellas to shade the ground beneath them. "That's it there." She said, pointing to the only obvious structure the short distance away.

"It's..." She started to explain, as the two continued their trek up the hill. "A lot of pressure." The blonde said finally, after careful consideration. "There's a lot of expectations to live up to. There's a lot I want to do outside of Naboo; Outside of my family's long line of service to the crown."

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]

 

[Asemir]

Asemir nodded his understanding. "Pressure. Yes, that I get. The squadmate who was royalty. Nycha was her name. She'd speak of the pressure, too. Mostly about not embarrassing her family. You know, not to do something stupid or let it leak out who her father was."

He looked towards the building that Jamie pointed at. It matched the architecture of the area, of Naboo, which meant it was rather quaint and lacked the stark industrial lines of many other worlds. It was quite nice.

"What would you like to do?" he asked as they continued towards the eatery. "Or, maybe a better question, what's keeping you from going out and seeing the galaxy?"

[member="Jamie Pyne"]

 

[Jamie Pyne]

"I can certainly relate to that." A nod of the head to acknowledge the comment. "Embarrassing one's family could be worse than a death sentence, especially if during an important event or something. I'd like to think I've been lucky enough so far." Most of the time the only one to be embarrassed was herself. That she could live with. That was something she could work with. Besides, her father thought it was mildly entertaining most of the time.

Then came the question most folks asked when they were made aware that she hadn't ever traveled off world as a child. It was a tale she'd retold again and again so much now that it was about as simple as pressing play on an audio player and repeating the exact same words again. "Obligations, mostly." She started. "My family has always had my life very structured and organized. They did their thing, I was directed on what I would be doing. It just never became a thing to leave." Of course that had changed when she met Keira, but that was a whole other story on its' own. That part would come in due time. "I've gone to a few places now though, seen a couple of worlds. Though maybe I am biased, but nothing I've seen yet has the charm of Naboo."

[member="Asemir Lor'kora"]